


Top Dog

by Netcord2002



Category: The West Wing
Genre: F/M, Humor, Post Bartlett Administration, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2005-12-30
Updated: 2005-12-30
Packaged: 2019-05-30 18:55:04
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 18
Words: 40,153
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15102875
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Netcord2002/pseuds/Netcord2002
Summary: Jed and Abbey move forward into their new life back in Hew Hampshire. Life is never dull at the Bartlet Farm.  Hail, hail... the gang's mostly all here!!





	1. Top Dog

**Author's Note:**

> A copy of this work was once archived at National Library, a part of the [ West Wing Fanfiction Central](https://fanlore.org/wiki/West_Wing_Fanfiction_Central), a West Wing fanfiction archive. More information about the Open Doors approved archive move can be found in the [announcement post](http://archiveofourown.org/admin_posts/8325).

**Top Dog**

**by:** Netcord 

**Character(s):** Jed, Abbey, Leo, Charlie, Zoey  
**Pairing(s):** Jed/Abbey  
**Category(s):** Humor/Romance  
**Rating:** ADULT  
**Disclaimer:** Jed & Abbey were created by Aaron Sorkin. Thomas belongs to me.  
**Summary:** Jed and Abbey move forward into their new life back in Hew Hampshire. Life is never dull at the Bartlet Farm. Hail, hail... the gang's mostly all here!!  
**Author's Note:** The is a sequel to my previous story "It's A Dog's Life". For the sake of continuity you might want to read that first. In appreciation: I need to thank Mayhem who has been a huge help with this story all along the way. She has been a true sounding board, test reader, spell checker & over all encouraging friend. 

**Pt.1**

"This Dickey Sloan Center up at Dartmouth... ..it sounds like a serious idea." Leo watched as Jed removed yet another of his pieces from the chess board. 

Jed leaned back in his chair with is hands clasped up behind his head. "I think it might be. They're very involved with international affairs. I like the way they get the lads out into the world early. It keeps them from being so self centered. Gets everyone working on solutions to the bigger problems rather than focusing on only US domestic concerns." He waved his index finger from side to side. "You don't want to do that Leo." Jed smiled as Leo started to move his knight. 

Scratching Thomas behind the ear Leo bent over whispering to his furry advisor, "What do you think young man? Should I trust him?" Leo thought better of his intended move and slid his queen diagonally, removing Jed's rook. "Those kids would be more than lucky to hear your perspective on any number of world issues. Do they have a slot for you on the faculty?" 

Jed sat forward again leaning his elbows on his knees. He studied the board for a moment, sipped his coffee casually... ...then hopped his own queen over several spots. "Check." 

"Damn." Leo moved his king defensively. 

"Check" 

"Damn it." 

"Checkmate." 

"Damn it to hell." 

"Abbey!!... Leo needs his ice cream now. I'll join him in his misery." Jed swatted Leo playfully on the knee. "You'll get me next time. I will be more of a 'visiting speaker' at first. That will give me  & them a chance to test the waters before making a long term commitment." 

Jed stood to stretch his legs, looking hopefully towards the study door. He could hear Abbey and CJ chatting loudly in the kitchen. Dinner had been over for a while now. Toby, Josh, Charlie, Zoey and Deeana had headed out to the newly refurbished guest house to watch the Celtic's game on the oversized flat screen TV. What a gang that was. Jed had never expected to gain such an extended family when he accepted Leo's invitation to run nine years ago. These people, whose names he couldn't remember most of the time... . or wanted to remember at first... . were now all his sons and daughters, almost as much so as the three he had created with Abbey. 

"Here you go." Abbey came through the door with a full tray. "Vanilla for the victor and pistachio for the vanquished. I threw in some brownies for good measure." 

CJ carried her own bowl.....one huge scoop of vanilla, a brownie hidden underneath. She sat in the man sized leather easy chair propping her sock clad feet on the edge of the coffee table. "Leopold, did you let him win again?" 

"It's his house CJ. I didn't want to sleep out in the guest house with the kids." Leo winked digging happily into his pistachio. 

Jed always enjoyed it when people spoke about him in the third person as though he wasn't even present in the room. Still standing, bowl in hand, he pointed his brownie at Thomas. "Leo's problem is that he was getting advice from a rookie. Now if Nellie B. had been helping him it would have been an entirely different game." 

~~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~~~ 

His hair was so soft. She loved running her fingertips through it. There was a slight waviness at the back of his neck. He lay his head against her chest soaking up all the attention she was willing to give him. 

"I think you have made a friend for life there CJ. Of course letting him lick your bowl & spoon helped win him over quite a bit." Abbey picked the bowl up off the floor placing it on the tray with the others. 

"You know you're spoiled don't you Thomas." His tail wagged as he gazed up into her eyes. Thomas could tell immediately that she was not a 'cat person'. CJ shifted in her seat pulling the puppy closer on her lap. "I doubt very much that was the first ice cream bowl he has licked since joining the Bartlet family." 

CJ looked directly at Jed who avoided the charge. "Well folks I've had it for today. If you'll excuse me I'm going to head upstairs." 

"Sir, I'll take Thomas out once more before putting him to bed." 

"Thanks CJ, that would be great. I'll see everyone at breakfast. Deeana says I begin work in earnest tomorrow." Jed gave Leo a pat on the shoulder. "Thanks for being here today. It meant a lot to me having my family with me." As he passed Abbey on his way to the door she squeezed his arm, giving him a peck on the cheek. "I'll keep the light on for you Sweet thing." 

~~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~~~ 

CJ snapped the leash to Thomas' harness. When she opened the kitchen door he lurched out pulling her down the porch steps, making a bee line to the guest house. 

"Wait... .wait a minute. Where do you think you're going? We're out here for a serious purpose Thomas." CJ stepped off the path directing her charge toward the nearest holly bush. 

Mission accomplish, Thomas yanked the leash from CJ's hand and sprinted to the door where all the laughter and music was coming from. Obviously a good time was being had and he wanted to joint the fray. 

Scrambling to catch up with the youngest Bartlet, CJ reached the doorway just as Toby responded to the sound scratching paws by flinging the door back. Dog and dog walker tumbled into the guest house receiving a round of applause. Shouts of "It's about damn time" and "Whoa, Thomas careful with that tail there, buddy" floated back towards the farm house as the door slammed against the cold March air. 


	2. Top Dog 2

**Top Dog**

**by:** Netcord

**Character(s):** Jed, Abbey, Leo, Charlie, Zoey  
**Pairing(s):** Jed/Abbey  
**Category(s):** Humor/Romance  
**Rating:** ADULT  
**Disclaimer:** Jed & Abbey were created by Aaron Sorkin. Thomas belongs to me.  
**Summary:** Jed and Abbey move forward into their new life back in Hew Hampshire. Life is never dull at the Bartlet Farm. Hail, hail... the gang's mostly all here!!  
**Author's Note:** The is a sequel to my previous story "It's A Dog's Life". For the sake of continuity you might want to read that first. In appreciation: I need to thank Mayhem who has been a huge help with this story all along the way. She has been a true sounding board, test reader, spell checker & over all encouraging friend. 

* * *

**Pt.2**

Jed swung around the corner from the back stairs into the kitchen just before 8 AM. The sight before him was not quite what he expected. Abbey was her usual early morning self, humming away while stirring up a mass of scrambled eggs over the stove. The rest of the gang, those who were present at all, were slumped over the table to varying degrees, looking as though some tragedy had occurred the night before and no one bothered to wake him up to report it. 

CJ, head in hands, had her hair hanging loosely in a rather unkept manner which was out of character for her. Josh lay with his head resting on crossed arms on top of his place mat. Charlie, chin resting on clasped hands as though praying, was rather droopy eyed. Toby was slouched back in his seat at such an angle the table didn't even come onto play. Zoey, he was told was standing semiconscious in the shower upstairs. Leo was still safely in his bed, getting a few extra minutes of rest. Deeana apparently had driven back to town well past midnight and hopefully wasn't in a ditch along the way. Most disturbing all, Thomas lay on his side half in and half out of his crate. His tongue was hanging out the side of his mouth. His left paw was slung over his muzzle like a drunk suffering from a hangover headache. 

"What the hell is going on here?" Jed bellowed. All heads jerked in an involuntary response. Five pairs of glazed eyes looked up at him. Thomas belched, stood and swayed as he tried to wag his tail in recognition of Jed's arrival in the kitchen. 

"Apparently there was a party, Babe. We weren't invited." Abbey set a large pitcher of orange juice in the middle of the table. "Oh to be young and foolish." 

Jed knelt down in front of Thomas putting a hand under his furry chin. Thomas wagged a little harder, lost his balance and sat down. Jed's eyes got extremely narrow. He stood turning back to the table. With his hands firmly planted on his hips he glared at the assembled group. "That puppy is drunk. His breath reeks of beer. Guinness, I believe. Who would like to explain exactly how this could happen." 

Toby made a valiant effort and stood, not feeling comfortable with the President looming at the end of the table looking like the death penalty was on his mind. "Sir, it was an accident." 

"How so?" The glare was now focused squarely on Toby, who placed his finger tips on the edge of table to steady himself. 

"I was dancing with CJ... there." He nodded his head in her direction. "Did you know sir, that Thomas has an incredibly long tongue? Is that normal for Lab puppies? Oh and uh, Guinness is a stout Mr. President." 

"Toby, I swear." Jed huffed in exasperation. 

"Sir, he drained my mug all the way to the bottom. It must have been the salt from all the peanuts he ate. I put the mug down on the coffee table. The next thing I see is Thomas with his face jammed down inside, slurping with gusto." 

Jed looked to Abbey for support, but was met with an expression of complete amusement. "Abbey, they've corrupted my puppy." 

"Jed, you may have to face the fact that we are raising an Irish stout guzzling party animal." Abbey divided the eggs onto plates, trying unsuccessfully to keep a straight face. 

Thomas belched again, flopping over onto his back. "Oh for the love of God would someone get him an Alka-seltzer. 

~~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~~~ 

"This mouse has no tail. Shouldn't they call it something else?" Jed examined the Logitech cordless mouse with suspicion. 

"Mr. President stay with me here. Move the cursor over and click on the butterfly symbol." Deeana moved her chair a little closer, reaching to guide the President's hand back down onto the mouse pad. 

Jed watched over the top of his glasses as the cursor zoom erratically around on the screen." You got me a Dell laptop? Is that a good make?" 

"Yes and yes. It's what I use sir. I thought it would be easier if we all used the same brand." Deeana clamped down on the President's hand bringing the cursor to rest in the middle of the screen. 

"Good idea. I'm still having trouble with the concept of the 'tailless mouse'." 

"Sir, the modern mouse is wireless. See..... you just plug this 'doo-hickey' into the USB port in the back, push the little button and the mouse can talk to the cursor. No more tail. Isn't that neat?" 

"They really don't call that thing a 'doo-hickey' do they?" He started to close down the lid to peek behind it. 

"Please sir, try to concentrate on the really important things." She pushed the lid back up giving him a stern glare. 

"Okay, you have my full attention. When do I get to surf the Internet?" Jed clicked the MSN butterfly, opening the start-up page. 

"There are a few things you need to practice first. Clicking & dragging, cutting & pasting, and printing & saving. But first we'll get you set up with MSN. That butterfly will be your pathway to the Internet." 

"Cutting & pasting ... .I think I did that already. Sixty years ago in pre-school." 

"Sir, you promised... .. Stop fooling around. This is going to be a lot of fun. We're going to register for your personal account now. You need to decide on a screen name. Most people like to use something that reflects their personality. And you will need a secret password to access certain Websites. Be creative, but choose something that will be easy for you to remember." 

"A screen name that reflects my personality?" Jed broke into a broad smile. 

"Once I see you have the hang of all this I'll give you some homework so you can practice at the farm tonight." She made some notations in a notebook labeled 'Bartlet vs. the Internet'. 

"NO... ... not homework?" 

~~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~~~ 

"Jed stop that, you need to go do your homework." Abbey shrugged & twisted in an effort to stop him from nibbling on the back of her neck. "I'll finish the dishes while you're in the study." 

"But this is more fun." Jed pulled her by the belt loops bringing her in tight against his chest. He nuzzled the side of her neck kissing her earlobe. 

"That won't work. Deeana filled me in on your current project. She wants to get you out on the Internet and e-mailing. You'll love it once you get the hang of it. You can harass all your family and former staff day & night. They'll be powerless to stop you." 

"Will I get a reward if I go... ?" He sucked her earlobe in with his lips only letting go when Abbey turned to push him away to arm's length. 

"Ron brought in a laptop and printer earlier to day. He has it all hooked up at your desk." 

"Ron hooked it up?" He looked impressed. 

"Jed, I think you may be the one person left in New Hampshire who can't use a computer. I promise a reward if you get finished at a decent hour." Abbey leaned in running the tip of her tongue along his lower lip. "Now go. I think you will be pleasantly surprised." She smacked his rear as he turned to leave. 

That did the trick… "Come on Thomas. I may need some moral support." Jed slapped his thigh signaling for the puppy to follow. 

Jed opened his notebook. Deeana had written down everything he needed in detail. The Dell sitting on his desk was a duplicate of the one at the office with a matching printer. His assignment, written neatly, was fairly simple: 

__1\. Sign in to MSN  
2\. Retrieve any e-mail from the 'new mail' box... print it to show me tomorrow.  
3\. Send a reply  
4\. Sign-off and shut down laptop for the night  


Good Luck ! 

Jed patted Thomas, who was looking much improved compared to breakfast. He had stretched himself out on the rug with his hind legs sticking straight out behind him. His head rested on his front paws. Every time Jed spoke to him Thomas' eyebrows moved up and down one at a time. 

"This doesn't look too bad Thomas. And I have this trusty notebook." 

Jed moved the mouse around waking up the computer. That brought a smile. He clicked the butterfly. MSN's opening page flashed up on the screen and a very pleasant female voice welcomed him by name. Thomas' ears perk at the sound of a strange voice. Checking his mailbox Jed was surprised to find two messages waiting for him. He started with the one he was expecting from  Swish@aol.com. He successfully opened the message: 

_Mr. President, if you are reading this message you are well on your way. Print this message and then send me a response. Good job, Sir. I'm proud of you.  
Take care, Deeana_

He found the printer symbol and clicked, waking up the printer. Thomas popped up at the sound of the paper sucking in as the inkjet began to print. Hitting respond Jed typed gingerly with his thumbs and index fingers. His thick fingers made it difficult, the typos were mounting up, but Deeana had advised him not to worry about his typing at this point. Like Tom Hanks Jed circled his finger in the air and came down on the button to send. "You've got mail." He laughed to himself, feeling a sense of accomplishment. 

Jed sat up a little straighter and adjusted his glasses. The second message was the one he really wanted to read... ... .it was from FeistyDoc@msn.com . 


	3. Top Dog 3

**Top Dog**

**by:** Netcord

**Character(s):** Jed, Abbey, Leo, Charlie, Zoey  
**Pairing(s):** Jed/Abbey  
**Category(s):** Humor/Romance  
**Rating:** ADULT  
**Disclaimer:** Jed & Abbey were created by Aaron Sorkin. Thomas belongs to me.  
**Summary:** Jed and Abbey move forward into their new life back in Hew Hampshire. Life is never dull at the Bartlet Farm. Hail, hail... the gang's mostly all here!!  
**Author's Note:** The is a sequel to my previous story "It's A Dog's Life". For the sake of continuity you might want to read that first. In appreciation: I need to thank Mayhem who has been a huge help with this story all along the way. She has been a true sounding board, test reader, spell checker & over all encouraging friend. 

* * *

**Pt.3**

Subj: Bartlet VS. The Internet  
Date: 3/16/06 4:50:27 PM EST  
From:  FeistyDoc@msn.com  
To: TopDog@msn.com  


Miracles never cease. You have now entered the endless frontier which is the Internet & e-mailing is just one small perk for you to enjoy. It can be both addicting & wonderful. You'll be truly amazed at the places you can go without ever leaving the study. You may meet people in far off places and make new friends you may never see in person. Useful information & endless trivia are literally at your finger tips. 

Click the line marked 'attachments' and you will find something you might like. 

Say goodnight to Thomas and come to bed. You can show me just what inspired you to select 'Top Dog' as your screen name. 

Feeling feisty, A. 

Jed muttered under his breath, "Attachments? Shit. Deeana never mentioned anything about attachments." He looked at Thomas who was now snoring. "You're a big help... .Ok, how hard could it be? I have a Nobel award & have been President for God's sake. Get a grip Jed, five year olds do this every day. And stop talking out loud to yourself & think." 

He scanned the screen frantically... ..there, there it was "attachment". He pointed the cursor and clicked... Download Now?? Oh God ... Yes!!..... Save to?? Oh Lord, why not... MSN downloads?? Sounds good to me. Come on... come on. 

Before his eyes a photo began to appear. It was amazing, sharp & in living color. Right there on his new Dell laptop was Abigail Bartlet standing in the doorway of their bedroom wearing a rather short teal green Notre Dame tank top with spaghetti straps over lacy black panties. Her hair hung loose and wavy to her shoulders. One eyebrow was raise seductively. She had one hand placed on her curvy hip. The other hand up against the doorframe. The caption underneath read - Feisty Doc waiting for response from Top Dog- 

How in the world? How did Abbey get on his screen? Hell, who cares? 

Focus now Jed... ..click & drag, click & drag... .file close, file close. Shut down?? Yes, thank you very much. "Goodbye Top Dog"... ...Goodbye to you too. 

Jed nudged Thomas with his foot. "Thomas come on buddy wake up it's time to go to bed. I need to respond to that message in person." 

~~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~~~ 

Taking advantage of the quiet in the house, Abbey took a long hot shower. Except for Charlie and Zoey the rest of the gang had taken off midmorning (after they had sufficiently recovered from the night before). After being encouraged to drink some Alka-Seltzer Thomas had napped most of the day, belching occasionally, but seeming none the worse for his night of partying with his new friends. 

Abbey stepped out of the shower wrapping her hair in one towel, drying her skin with a second. She hummed as she rubbed some sweet smelling lotion on her arms and legs. "Eau d'amour" was liberally splashed on her neck and breasts. Abbey decided damp hair might be the thing for tonight. For some reason she did not understand Jed found that to be a real turn on. She shook her head, running her fingers through working out any obvious tangles, but letting the curls fall where they may. 

As Abbey considered what to wear she wrapped the soft towel around her body stepping into the bedroom. The lights she had left on were now off. Music was floating out from the CD player on the bookshelf. The bedcovers had been neatly folded back. 

"I want you to put on what you were wearing in the photo." 

Abbey was startled by the voice in the shadows... ..her eyes adjusted finding the source coming from the lounge chair in the corner. Jed sat back casually with his legs stretched out. His shirt was open, his jeans, bleached with age, ran down his legs to his bare feet. He had his arms flung out over the armrests. His eyes intently focused on his wife who was backlit by the light coming from the bathroom. 

"You got my e-mail?" 

"Oh yes." 

"You finished your homework?" 

"Absolutely." 

"You have come for your reward?" 

"Most definitely... ....you asked for a response. I wanted to deliver it personally." He indicated the articles of clothing he had left on the bed. "I'll wait while you put your things back on." 

Abbey loved it when Jed made his preferences known... ...when he was in a rather 'take charge' sort of mood. It was very appealing, very exciting. She could feel his eyes following her every move. The towel dropped to the floor as she reached for the tight Notre Dame tank top sliding it over her head. Zoey would never notice it was missing from her vast collection. Next Abbey sat on the edge of the bed holding her panties out, stepping into them one amazing leg at a time. She pulled them up slowly, turning towards Jed and waiting for his next request. 

"Come over here, please." 

Coming to stand beside him, Abbey reached out and stroked her fingers through his hair. Jed ran his right hand up the back of her leg admiring her still trim line. Hiking suited her and him for that matter. She worked hard to stay in such good shape for her own benefit. Jed also reaped the benefits, feeling great pride at this moment. 

Jed sat up wrapping his arms around her hips. He rubbed his face against her belly inhaling the fragrance of her body wash. "God you smell good to me." She bent over him running her hands over his broad back. 

"E-mailing is going to be a hoot, but it will never take the place of the real thing." He pulled her down onto his lap, placing one big hand behind her head bringing their lips together hard. The hunger that Jed conveyed with that kiss sent a hot spark through Abbey's body. She slumped into his chest giving herself over to whatever he needed. 

Jed's hands roamed freely over her body. The tank top and panties offer little resistance to his touch. He kissed and stroked her almost beyond her limit, then suddenly stopped. Carefully lifting her, Jed carried Abbey over to their bed. Laying her back across the bed Jed removed her panties kneeling at the edge so he could pleasure her with his tongue & lips. There was no urgency now. It was as though they were moving in slow motion... ..agonizingly slow. 

Backing off Jed stood and began to unbuckle his belt. 

"Let me help you with that, Babe." Abbey sat up pulling the buckle open and lowering the zipper. Her hands came up over his chest before dropping to his waistband. Jed shrugged out of his shirt, smiling as she lowered his jeans and shorts down over his hips. 

He signaled for her to scoot back on the bed giving him room to follow. Jed immediately moved over her centering himself. He was ready long before she even took him in hand or stroked him. Before she rubbed her body along his or sucked his erect nipples. He had no idea an e-mail with an 'attachment' could have such arousing an effect on him. 

Lifting her legs high above his waist he entered her deeply, but gently, moving only when he felt her readiness. Then he thrust with power and determination using his weight and strength driving in over and over. He was in charge tonight. He set the pace. Abbey stayed with him, holding on tight for this exhilarating ride. 

~~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~~~ 

"I still don't understand how your picture got in my Dell." 

"Go to sleep, Babe. Deeana will cover 'attachments' in your next lesson." 

"Feisty Doc... .that's a pretty sassy moniker you have there." 

"You've got a fair amount of sass there yourself.....Top Dog." 


	4. Top Dog 4

**Top Dog**

**by:** Netcord

**Character(s):** Jed, Abbey, Leo, Charlie, Zoey  
**Pairing(s):** Jed/Abbey  
**Category(s):** Humor/Romance  
**Rating:** ADULT  
**Disclaimer:** Jed & Abbey were created by Aaron Sorkin. Thomas belongs to me.  
**Summary:** Jed and Abbey move forward into their new life back in Hew Hampshire. Life is never dull at the Bartlet Farm. Hail, hail... the gang's mostly all here!!  
**Author's Note:** The is a sequel to my previous story "It's A Dog's Life". For the sake of continuity you might want to read that first. In appreciation: I need to thank Mayhem who has been a huge help with this story all along the way. She has been a true sounding board, test reader, spell checker & over all encouraging friend. 

* * *

**Pt.4**

Ron passed the coffee mug off to the President as they got into the Suburban. "Sir, was the computer hooked up satisfactorily?" 

"You bet." Jed had a rather smug look on his face. 

"Because I wouldn't want to be the reason you might not have done your homework." 

"Oh, I wouldn't worry about that Ron. I got it done and then some." Jed laughed looking back toward the house as they pulled away. "Ron do you e-mail?" 

"Yes sir. It's the best way to stay in touch with my kids. Trying to get college kids to call home is close to impossible. But e-mail is right up their alley and it doesn't put a dent in our phone bill. I can send off a message anytime. It's very convenient and they actually respond fairly quickly." 

"What screen name do you use, Ron?" 

"Eagle Eye, sir. My kids gave me that name. They said they could never get away with anything. I never missed a trick when they were teenagers." He smiled. "Course when I was placed on your detail it took on a whole new meaning. They said I had my eye on the Eagle." 

~~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~~~ 

"Hey Dad. You busy?" Zoey watched her father leaning over the computer at his desk with a look of concentration she had never seen before. His sleeves were rolled up, his glass sliding down his nose. When he saw her he waved her in with a sense of relief. 

"Hi Sweetheart. Come in, come in. I need a break. Deeana has me doing some writing on the computer which I am supposed to 'save' in a labeled folder." Jed pushed back from his desk, coming around to give his youngest daughter a hug. He rolled his eyes holding his hands out in frustration. "I seemed to have lost what I wrote." 

"How can you lose what you wrote?" She glanced at the Dell with amusement. 

"Well I saved it. At least it told me I did, but now I don't know where it went. I'm sure it's in there somewhere. Who the hell knows?" He brought Zoey over to sit on the couch with him. "Maybe this is why I always saw Toby writing his speeches on legal pads." 

"You mean your speeches." 

"Yeah..... What up? Were you and Charlie across the street?" Jed faced his daughter with one arm along the back of the couch. 

"We met with Fr. O'Neill. He is going to counsel us before the wedding." 

"He's a good guy Zoey so don't be nervous. He has a pretty clear understanding of your situation... ..you know all the publicity and so forth. You can be open with him and his advice will be worth heeding." 

"He's cool with us writing our own ceremony and having the service at the Farm. Are you okay with that too Dad?" Zoey looked very serious. It was obvious to Jed that he should choose his words carefully. 

"Honey, this is your wedding. I love you and Charlie more than I can say." He put a gentle hand to her cheek. "The commitment the two of you make to each other is the most important thing. I believe God will be smiling down on you both with his blessing. It matters little where or how you exchange your vows." 

She fell into his embrace squeezing his neck tightly. "Thanks Dad. I just don't want to disappoint you." 

"That could never happen. Are we aiming for July 1st?" 

"Yep, that's the target date. Mom is getting psyched already." 

"I'm sure she is. I think we should have fireworks. No need to wait for the 4th." He stood wandering back to the computer. "You don't want to find my letter in here for me do you?" 

Zoey headed for the door. "Not a chance and spoil all the fun of learning?" 

"Smartass." 

~~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~~~ 

The pond still had bits of ice around the edges, but spring was definitely on it's way to New Hampshire. Jed walked briskly along with Thomas at his side. They enjoyed getting some fresh air after dinner before it got too dark. One lap around the trail by the pond should do it. 

There use to be a large snapping turtle which stalked the waters of the Bartlet Farm. Jed had it captured and removed after witnessing it devouring some baby goslings that were swimming innocently on the pond. He was all for nature's 'survival of the fittest', but not when it was happening right before his eyes. Plus Annie had been with him at the time and she cried for two days. 

The light was fading when they came around the other side. Jed tossed a stick for Thomas to fetch as they walked along. He was showing some promise as a retriever. The challenge came when Jed tried to take the stick out of Thomas' mouth. There was a misunderstanding as to the method of transferal. It often became a wrestling match with playful growling thrown in for show. Thomas would growl. Then Jed would growl back. Thomas had also figured out that if he started to run before Jed even threw the stick he would almost be at its landing spot before it got there. 

Watching Jed with bright eager eyes Thomas took off as his arm went back. He ran on young athletic puppy legs, bounding ahead in anticipation of the throw. Suddenly there was a flurry of bodies and wings. They were half running, half flying out in the dim light, rushing in a panic before him. Thomas, though startled, was driven by his natural instinct to chase the fleeing birds. 

They were huge magnificent Canada Geese or Branta Candenis as Jed would call them. Their wings stretched out more than 55" as they scrambled to escape this intruder to their once quiet resting place. 

Jed raced up to witness what came next. The geese did what geese often do in this situation. They headed for deep water. Jed stuck two fingers in his mouth whistling sharp & loud to no avail. Thomas had made up his mind to follow where ever these strange creatures led him. Jed was helpless to stop him as he burst from the bank of the pond going airborne before splashing into the freezing water. The geese had virtually sprinted several yards over the surface of the water before settling down to glide out near the center of the pond. Thomas now more than chest deep began to swim which was also a natural skill for his breed. As he approached the geese they merely floated farther away drawing him deeper and deeper. 

Jed was at this point frantically waving to Coop who had been trailing him from the house. He shouted, "I'm going in, stay on that side in case he comes your way." 

Coop ran down onto the bank closest to the farm house, throwing his coat to the ground. He knew this pond was a good 10 to 15 feet deep at its center. It was obvious the ambitious puppy was tiring in the frigid water. 

Jed scrambled out of his coat as well, wading in waist deep, all the while calling Thomas by name in hopes that he would give up the chase and come back to shallow water. When he saw the puppy's head dip below the surface of the dark water Jed dove forward and swam with urgency. Jed kept his own head up so as not to loose sight of Thomas' position. The puppy was struggling to keep afloat and sunk out of sight just as Jed reached for him. With determination Jed grasped in the spot where Thomas had just been. He could feel his fingers catch in the harness his puppy wore. Closing his hand tightly Jed pulled the struggling retriever back to the surface. 

Coop was now standing up to his chest in the pond. "Sir, come this way. You're closer to this side." He dove in, swimming out to meet them. 

Jed held tight to his buddy swimming desperately toward the voice, as best he could with one free arm. The temperature of the water and his clothes clinging to his limbs made it more than difficult to stay afloat. His heart was pounding with the exertion he was putting forth. His lungs burned from sucking in the crisp damp night air. Maybe it would be easier if Thomas would stop struggling against him. His mind was racing with thoughts of Abbey waiting for him in the warmth and quiet of their kitchen. He thought of Zoey's wedding and how beautiful she would be when she spoke her vows to Charlie. The speech he wanted to give up at Dartmouth began to run through his mind as well. Will had been exactly right with his 'ballsy' comment. How surreal this had all become. 

All at once Jed could feel multiple pairs of hands pulling at him. They were icy cold fingers... .or was that him.....HE was icy cold. Yes, he WAS icy cold. Thomas was no longer struggling. His hand was cramping in the freezing water. "Thomas? Thomas?" Where was he? Had he lost his grip? "Stop pulling at me... where's my dog? Here buddy!" 


	5. Top Dog 5

**Top Dog**

**by:** Netcord

**Character(s):** Jed, Abbey, Leo, Charlie, Zoey  
**Pairing(s):** Jed/Abbey  
**Category(s):** Humor/Romance  
**Rating:** ADULT  
**Disclaimer:** Jed & Abbey were created by Aaron Sorkin. Thomas belongs to me.  
**Summary:** Jed and Abbey move forward into their new life back in Hew Hampshire. Life is never dull at the Bartlet Farm. Hail, hail... the gang's mostly all here!!  
**Author's Note:** The is a sequel to my previous story "It's A Dog's Life". For the sake of continuity you might want to read that first. In appreciation: I need to thank Mayhem who has been a huge help with this story all along the way. She has been a true sounding board, test reader, spell checker & over all encouraging friend. 

* * *

**Pt.5**

~~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~~~ 

Abbey sat at the kitchen table perusing the Bridal magazine Zoey had left for her. July 1st seemed so far away and yet so near. This was such a joyful occasion, she wanted to make it all that Zoey hoped for. Jed had finally accepted the fact that not only was Zoey now a grown woman, but that he was no longer the number one man in her life. 

She got up to refill her coffee cup when the door suddenly burst open. Three unrecognizable soaking wet men surged into the room. One was holding what appeared to be a limp black wool blanket. 

Coop stepped forward guiding the shorter man to the closest chair. "Dr. Bartlet we need blankets right away." 

Dr. Bartlet?... Dr. Bartlet. Coop usually addressed her as Mrs. Bartlet. 

The shivering man in the chair looked up at her. His eyes were deep blue and glazed over. His hair dripped down over his brow. His shirt and jeans were both caked with mud and soaked through to the skin. 

"Abbey...." The voice was hoarse. His cough had a deep raspy sound. 

"Dr. Bartlet we need to get him warm right away." 

Coop's insistence penetrated her confusion. Abbey brushed the bangs back from the face she now recognized. "Oh my God Jed, what has happened to you?" 

His shivering had become so violent he could not respond to her. He hunched over holding his arms in close to his body. His breathing was labored. 

"Dr. Bartlet, Thomas was in the pond. He was under the surface for several minutes." 

Abbey turned to the new agent Pete, who still held the wet black object to his chest. Thomas? Was he breathing at all? His head hung over the agents arm. His legs dangled down motionless. 

"Pete gave him CPR on the bank of the pond, but I don't know whether he's still with us." Coop's eyes were sad with worry. The puddle growing at his feet was filthy and started to run across the kitchen floor. 

The physician's voice in Abbey's head was screaming at her to get in the game. Act now, act fast. 

"Coop, call Ron and tell him we need to go to the hospital right away. Pete lay Thomas on the table, then run upstairs and bring any blankets you can find. I don't care if you rip them off the beds. Coop, I need you to get Dr. Macky on the phone and tell him Thomas needs emergency care as soon a possible." 

The men moved on her command. Abbey grabbed Jed's old field jacket off the hook in the corner, wrapping it around her husband's shoulders and began to rub his arms and back vigorously. 

"Jed you've really done it this time. Just when I think life is slowing down you pull a stunt like this. Couldn't you wait until summer to take Thomas swimming? Honestly, I can't take my eye off you two for a second." Abbey could hear Coop on the phone informing Dr. Macky of the situation. "Jed listen to me, Pete will take good care of Thomas. He going to warm him up and get him to Dr. Macky." 

Still she got no response from him. Snatching two blankets from Pete as he reappeared with an armload Abbey barked more orders. "Ok, guys let's get Jed out of his wet clothes. Then Pete, I want you to dry Thomas off as best you can, wrap him in a blanket and take him directly over to the clinic." 

Coop and Pete stood Jed up holding him under his armpits. Abbey ripped the front of his shirt open peeling it off of his arms. A blanket was placed around his upper body. Abbey then unfastened his jeans yanking them down his legs, taking his shorts as well. This was no time for modesty. The second blanket went around his waist. Jed continued to cough and slumped back into the chair. 

Once again the kitchen door burst open. There stood Ron, grim faced, with three more agents in tow. It was the sweetest sight Abbey had ever seen. 

~~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~~~ 

"Branta Candenis" 

"Excuse me?" The nurse leaned closer, but didn't understand. 

"It was the Branta Candenis... .he was chasing them." 

The nurse jumped up signaling for the agent to get Dr. Bartlet off the phone in the hall. 

"He's speaking, but I think he's delirious. He keeps saying 'brantacandenis' and something about chasing them." 

Abbey came to Jed's side rubbing the back of her hand against his cheek. His color was good. He felt warm to the touch. "He's not delirious. That's Latin. The Canada Geese have arrived on the Farm early this year." 

After the nurse left them alone Abbey bent low to his ear. "You're a crazy man. Do you hear me?" 

"Yes, I hear you. I may be half dead, but I'm not deaf." He took a deep breath triggering a coughing jag. 

Abbey rubbed his back soothingly until it stopped. When he sank back onto his pillows she re-adjusted the heavy blanket over his chest. "Once the doctor feels your temperature is stabilized he's going to send you home. Probably in the morning. If you start speaking Latin you're going to scare the nurses." 

"My chest hurts." he shifted uncomfortably under the covers. 

"You bruised your lungs Babe, inhaling all that cold wet air when you decided to swim across the pond. It will take several days for them to recover. They've put you on antibiotics just in case, since you swallowed a fair amount of mucky water." 

"I should have had him on a leash. I heard the geese fly over a few days ago. I should have known some were there by our pond. I was throwing a stick and he wouldn't come back to me, Abbey" He couldn't hold back the tears any longer. "He ran so fast. I whistled, but he just didn't come back." 

Sitting on the side of the bed, Abbey held Jed close, kissing his forehead. "You know I think it might be a good idea for you and Thomas to go to obedience school. He's getting awfully full of himself. It's time he learned who really is the 'Top Dog' of this family." 

Jed stared at her speechless. Somewhere deep within those compassionate blue eyes a spark of hope flickered. 

"Dr. Macky is keeping Thomas for several days. Last I heard his wife was spoon feeding him homemade chicken noodle soup while he watched 'Wild Kingdom' on TV with their children. You owe Pete a badge of honor for giving mouth to mouth to a dog. Coop has earned an extra day off this week. Oh... .and Ron wants to speak with you as soon as you're up to it." 


	6. Top Dog 6

**Top Dog**

**by:** Netcord

**Character(s):** Jed, Abbey, Leo, Charlie, Zoey  
**Pairing(s):** Jed/Abbey  
**Category(s):** Humor/Romance  
**Rating:** ADULT  
**Disclaimer:** Jed & Abbey were created by Aaron Sorkin. Thomas belongs to me.  
**Summary:** Jed and Abbey move forward into their new life back in Hew Hampshire. Life is never dull at the Bartlet Farm. Hail, hail... the gang's mostly all here!!  
**Author's Note:** The is a sequel to my previous story "It's A Dog's Life". For the sake of continuity you might want to read that first. In appreciation: I need to thank Mayhem who has been a huge help with this story all along the way. She has been a true sounding board, test reader, spell checker & over all encouraging friend. 

* * *

**Pt.6**

~~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~~~ 

_Security Update- RE: Josiah E. Bartlet_  
To- Manchester Detail  
Date : March 30,'06  
Effective date: Immediately  


1.From this date forward protectee will never be more than 10 feet from his primary agent (unless he is alone with his wife indoors). No exceptions will be tolerated.  
2\. From this date forward Ron Butterfield will act as primary agent during protectee's waking hours.  
3\. A lifeboat will be situated in the pond or on the dock at the pond of the Farm 12 months per year.  
4\. Life saving rings with 50 foot knotted roping will be installed at 25 yd. intervals around the pond along with increased emergency lighting.  
5\. All agents will be required to take a refresher course in CPR techniques, to include those for canine rescue.  
6\. Obedience school is a must, for the dog & for President Bartlet.  


~~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~~~ 

"This has been an extremely tough three days, Leo. Jed has been sulking around the house to the degree that I finally packed him off to his office. Deeana has been keeping him busy with computer work and phone calls." Abbey shifted the phone to her other ear, gazing out the window toward the pond. "Leo, how was I to know when I suggested you give him a puppy that he'd throw himself into freezing water to rescue it from Canada Geese?... . My God, he has no sense of self-preservation. You know I'm right. You've seen it yourself haven't you?... . If Coop and Pete had not been there... ..." She stopped for a moment to collect herself. "I know, I know... ... .he's always been this way. It doesn't make it any easier to live with him." She took a deep breath leaning on the edge of counter. "I have learned after all these years that there is no sense in trying to change him. This is 'All Creature Great and Small' personified. He scares me to death Leo, but at the same time I love him for it." Abbey turned seeing Thomas' crate waiting for the return of its puppy. Jed had washed the cover to his dog bed. The various bones, de-squeaked squeaker toys & balls were neatly lined along the side. Thomas' harness hung empty on the corner of the open crate door. His water and food bowls sat at the ready on their large rubberized matt under the clock on the far wall. "This puppy certainly has been a Godsend. Thomas has drawn Jed out of his brooding and given him a new focus."... .... Abbey chuckled and continued, "Leo the agents are in high gear. Ron has been charged with being Jed's constant companion... ..no I'm not kidding. The man deserves the Medal of Honor in my opinion. Oh and the whole group are being trained by Dr. Macky in 'doggie CPR' techniques."... ..Pacing back through the house to Jed's study, Abbey sat at the desk enjoying the manly feel of his high back executive chair. His Dell was open, but sleeping... ....an extremely cute mug shot of Thomas was floating around as a newly installed screen saver. "No....I refrained from shouting Leo. I thought I showed great restraint... ..Yes, well Jed should settle down tonight, his buddy will be delivered home before dinner." She smiled swiveling the chair around. "Leo why don't you send him an e-mail? You could give him a kick in the pants. Yes, 'TopDog@msn.com'. Ok, thanks Leo... .Later." 

~~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~~~ 

"Okay, here we go sir. The foundation website is up and running. Just type in : www.F&GW.org." Deeana stood back watching as Jed typed in the address for his new foundation. She prayed the link was in good order. Mrs. Bartlet was counting on her to keep him occupied until at least 5:30 PM. 

"Hang on. Before we get into this could I... .." Jed reached for the phone. 

"No you don't. Mr. President, you have bothered Dr. Macky twice already today. Thomas is taking a nap right now. He'll recover a lot faster if you stop calling every ten minutes." Deeana was amazed at what a 'kid' her boss could be when it came to that puppy. 

Jed put the receiver back in its cradle with a huge sigh of resignation. "What exactly is '.org'?" Jed raised his index finger and jabbed the enter key. 

"'.org' designates your site as an organization. Without even knowing the name people can Google search their way right to us." 

"Google search?" He pushed his glasses back up on his nose a bit. 

"Let's not get distracted sir. That's lesson #5". 

"I can't wait... ..." To his utter amazement a window opened showing the entrance of the office with a clear focus on the beautiful sign out front. "Oh my... .look at that. How did you do that?" 

"I had some help from a web designer, but it's not too tricky to set up a site. It's your best way to get the word out about what your purpose is. You are inviting people to ask questions and get involved." Deeana scrolled down the opening page indicating all the important contact information. 

Foundation for Faith & Good Works  
803 Church St.  
Manchester, NH. 03104  
(603) - 688- 1776  
fax: (603) - 688- 1960  
www.F&GW.org  


CEO: Josiah E. Bartlet  
e-mail: J.Bartlet@F&GW.org  


"There you are sir. This information is now available to anyone seeking to combine faith & good works anywhere in the world. Once they find us the index will direct them to whatever they want to know... ..your biography, mission statement and so forth." 

"This is just great. But do I now have two e-mails? I still haven't got the hang of the other one completely." He looked a little worried. 

"Mr. President relax... I will monitor this site and any incoming e-mails to this address. It will be your official business mail. Your 'Top Dog' mail will be for your personal use. I'll leave that one up to you." Deeana glanced at her watch noting that she had almost reached her target time. "I'll let Ron know you're almost ready to head home. Mrs. Bartlet has a special dinner cooking tonight and doesn't want you to be late." 

~~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~~~ 

The ride home was unusually quiet. Pete drove and Ron sat in the front passenger seat sharing straight out through the windshield. Ron's disappointment in the President's recent attempt to drown himself was quite evident. There had to be a way to regain his friendship and trust. Jed could barely stand it when people he loved gave him the silent treatment. It was too cruel a punishment no matter how badly he had behaved. Unless Abbey was going to allow him to spend an unusual amount of time alone with her 'indoors' Jed had to redeem himself with his agents and soon. 

The Special Agent who had pledged to 'take a bullet' for him and actually did once had the look of a man who was trying desperately to serve two masters. A task that was in this case probably impossible. The conversation with Ron, the day he had come home from the hospital was almost painful. Ron was at his most serious and professional when he came into the study and said, 

"Sir, it is our job to protect you from all danger, but when you are so intent on putting yourself in harms way it is very frustrating. To the best of our ability, we will adapt ourselves to your life style. Despite our concerted efforts to do so you have managed, once again, to tempt fate. My superiors are very unhappy. The thought being that perhaps some of us have grown lax in our seriousness of purpose. It appears to them that our feelings toward you as a person have made us soft. Our professionalism is being questioned. Granted the level of protection for a former President is lower than that of a sitting President. Never the less, I must emphasize that I have no intention of losing a man I have sworn to protect. That being said, as members of your detail, we will rededicate ourselves to keeping you as safe as humanly possible. All we ask is that you do your part and not throw us anymore curveballs." 

Jed had sincerely apologized several times to each of his agents, promising to abide by any new guidelines resulting from this most recent adventure. He was informed this would include spending a lot more time with Ron and enrollment for Thomas and himself at the next session of the "Furry Companions" Obedience School. 

~~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~~~ 

To call their reunion "jubilant" would be a gross understatement. There had been jumping, hugging, kissing and laughter. After Jed was almost knocked down several times, he decided it was best to sit on the floor and allow Thomas to dance around him with glee until they both lay side by side in a state of exhausted happiness. 

Those who have never loved or been loved by a dog would have thought their former President had completely lost his mind. But those who know the bond that can develop between a man and his best friend in fur would simply smile and nod their heads. 

After a celebratory dinner of steak , potatoes and pie a-la-mode, including two scoops of vanilla ice cream for Thomas, things started to settle down a bit. Jed and Thomas went out on the back porch for some alone time. Abbey wasn't quite sure, but it sounded like they were having a fairly serious conversation. Jed sat on the top step with Thomas sitting by his side. A full moon lit the pond off in the distance as they leaned their heads together like conspirators. Though Abbey couldn't hear Jed's words through the closed kitchen door, Ron could. From his spot in the shadows 10' away, he found the conversation to be very encouraging. 

"Look Thomas, we screwed up big time. We have to come to an understanding of who's the boss around here. At the moment it's not you or me. These other guys around here are in charge. We have to play the game by their rules... and Ron says "no more curveballs." It's their job to watch out for me and I am not risking their safety for mine. They've got families and kids just like I have so we need to 'think before we leap' next time. This obedience school... .it could be a fun thing. There will be other dogs and people to meet, but we'll need to concentrate. I expect you to put forth your best effort so we can graduate at the top of the class." 

They sat quietly for a bit. Thomas licked Jed's hand receiving a scratch under the chin in return. In the shadows Ron shifted from one foot to the other. He stroked his mustache, smiled, and nodded his head. 


	7. Top Dog 7

**Top Dog**

**by:** Netcord

**Character(s):** Jed, Abbey, Leo, Charlie, Zoey  
**Pairing(s):** Jed/Abbey  
**Category(s):** Humor/Romance  
**Rating:** ADULT  
**Disclaimer:** Jed & Abbey were created by Aaron Sorkin. Thomas belongs to me.  
**Summary:** Jed and Abbey move forward into their new life back in Hew Hampshire. Life is never dull at the Bartlet Farm. Hail, hail... the gang's mostly all here!!  
**Author's Note:** The is a sequel to my previous story "It's A Dog's Life". For the sake of continuity you might want to read that first. In appreciation: I need to thank Mayhem who has been a huge help with this story all along the way. She has been a true sounding board, test reader, spell checker & over all encouraging friend. 

* * *

**Pt.7**

~~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~~~ 

They leaned on the fence side by side. One stocky in jeans and running shoes. The other lean and tall wearing a dark suit. The puppy romped around in the field trying his best to imitate a border collie, only the horse stood his ground totally unimpressed. Thomas barked a few times while running to the left. Getting no reaction, he turned and ran back around to the right. The large chestnut gelding yanked up a mouthful of grass and chewed slowly. 

"Thomas cut that out. You're going to get a kick in the teeth if you're not careful." Jed shook his head watching his sidekick making a fool of himself. 

"He's young still. He'll learn," Ron observed. 

They stood shoulder to shoulder relaxing in the sunshine. One with a foot resting on the bottom rail. One with two feet planted firmly on the ground. 

"I couldn't just stand there and watch him drown." 

"I know." 

"He's much more to me than just a dog." 

"I understand." 

Thomas continued to harass the chestnut until the huge horse stomped his front hoof, snorting loudly. The puppy got the message, deciding to dash back towards Jed and the safety of the fence. 

Ron turned to Jed with compassion in his eyes. "Sir, we weren't going to stand by and watch the two of you drown." 

"I know." 

"You are much more to us than just a President." Ron placed a gentle hand on Jed's shoulder. 

"I understand." 

"Thank you sir." 

"No, thank you, Ron." Jed slapped his thigh, heading up to the Suburban. "Let's go Thomas. It's show time boy. Get your game face on." Thomas followed along, jumping up into the back seat oblivious of the choke collar dangling from Jed's left hand. 

~~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~~~ 

The sign above the door read: "A Well Trained Dog is A Happy Dog" 

Jed considered this as he fumbled to put the choke collar on as instructed. Thread the chain through the ring at one end so that the loop passes over the top of the dogs head from left ear to right ear. Thus allowing it to be both tightened & slackened easily as needed while the dog heels at your left side. 

"Stand still, damn it. Look we have to at least get the collar right." Jed stood with Thomas between his knees squeezing the breath out of him until he stopped moving. He quickly slid the collar over his head with relief, until he looked up to see all eyes were on him. 

"Shall we introduce ourselves and our dogs before we begin? I'm Mattie your trainer. I have been associated with dogs in one way or another for about twenty-five years now." Mattie came around to check each collar (and to see if Thomas was breathing again). "Would you like to start us off, sir." 

Jed felt unsure of how to introduce himself. Hadn't he said to Charlie once that he was at ease speaking to large crowds, but addressing one person made him nervous? This was a small group and surely they all knew who he was. Ron would have done some advance clearance as well. Most likely they knew Thomas from the photos in the Manchester Leader. Those shots of him eating the chocolate éclairs at the bakery when he snuck out of the office a few weeks back. Why that lady had let Thomas in there in the first place was still a mystery. 

"Hi, I'm Jed Bartlet." Holding Thomas firmly on a short leash Jed signaled with a casual wave. "This here is Thomas and I'm told we both need obedience training. We look forward to being a part of this group." 

"How cool is this?" burst out the young boy to Jed's left. "My Mom makes me come to dog school and here is Pres. B. Did your Mom make you come too?" Daniel had to be about 10 years old. His Sheltie, Dart, sat quietly at attention by his side. 

"Not exactly... ..but it seemed a good idea. Thomas and I need to work as a team a little better." Jed laughed patting Thomas in an attempt to settle him. 

"Yeah, Dart and I are a team. He sleeps on my bed every night." Daniel spoke with confidence showing no sign of shyness. 

"Well my wife won't allow Thomas to sleep with us any more. I guess he's getting a little too big." Jed smiled giving him a wink. 

The handsome springer's stumpy tail was wagging at lightening speed. His girl, Toni, standing straight and tall, was giving Jed a knowing look. "Mr. President... .." 

"Jed.....please... let's just all go on a first name basis. I'm retired and feeling grateful to be back in New Hampshire." He tilted his head showing off those blue eyes, with an expression which always seemed to make people more comfortable. 

"Yes, well Griffin here, doesn't seem to like my boyfriend very much. I'm hoping a little discipline may set him straight." 

"Really?... Mellow get off my foot." Sarah extracted her foot from underneath the yellow Lab puppy who had flopped over on its side. "My puppy seems to be a boy magnet. They loved to roll on the floor with her and wrestle. I think Mellow and Thomas have a lot in common." She nodded towards Thomas who was leaning into the back of Jed's leg, his tongue lolling out of the side of his rather cavernous mouth. 

Jed flexed his leg bumping Thomas back into proper sitting position. His posture was deplorable. If Jed couldn't get his dog to sit properly what would happen when they started to move? 

"Okay everyone. Here we go." Mattie moved to the middle of her happy little circle of rookie dog trainers and eager furry friends. "All I want to hear from you in the next ten minutes or so is your dog's name and the word 'heel' or 'good dog'. There will be no other vocabulary necessary for right now. Less is more in this case." She switched the leash from Jed's left hand to his right. "When giving a command it is a good idea to lower your voice to deliver the words with authority. Your dogs need to know that you are a serious authority figure and they are to submit to your wishes. If it helps, you may slap your thigh for emphasis as you step forward. In contrast when praising your dog use a higher pitch with enthusiasm so they know you are pleased." 

Jed cleared his throat, held the slackened leash in his right hand, stepped with his left foot first and smacked his thigh, commanding with his most authoritative tone, "Thomas , heel" And so it began... .... 

~~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~~~ 

"I said , Maybe you need to find a new boyfriend." Jed peered at her over the raised lid of his laptop. He rocked his chair back a little putting his feet up on the corner of the study desk. 

"Jed, you didn't say that to her." Abbey bunches the pillows up at one end, stretching her legs out across the couch. 

"Her springer looked fairly on the ball to me. Maybe he knew something she didn't. Dogs have instincts people can't explain, like sensing danger or sniffing out an undiagnosed illness." 

"Who told you that?" 

"No one. I saw it on the Discovery Channel. I was watching with Thomas at the office the other day." 

"So how did it really go today? Other than giving advice to love starved young women, are the two of you invited back for a second lesson?" She wiggled her toes while sipping her coffee. 

"Of course we are invited back. Other than a few miscues we hung right in with the group." Jed shut down the Dell, closing the lid. He sat up looking at her with an expression of hurt feelings. 

Patting the sofa cushion next to her Abbey invited Jed to come sit with her. "What sort of miscues are we talking about?" 

"Before we get into that, let me just say that two of the dogs are very bright. I'd say uncommonly bright and their owners had obviously been practicing at home before today." Jed lifted her legs sliding in underneath. "I mean what dog heels right from the get go and never even trips their owner once? That little Sheltie with the ten year old kid looked like a plant to me. Heel and stop... heel and stop. What a show off." He took her mug stealing a sip. "Then, there was the springer, Griffon, I think... ..he never took his eyes off his girl, Toni. Maybe he's just jealous of the boyfriend. Anyway, they not only heeled around corners, but he sat without her even yanking on the leash." 

"What about the third dog? The yellow Lab? Was she as goofy as Thomas?" 

"Mellow?... ..Very catchy name by the way. Sarah's a huge Donovan fan. Mellow and Thomas are kindred spirits, the big difference being that she is a 'she'. Mellow is quite ladylike and seemed more sensitive to constructive criticism. Sarah would pull gently on the leash, saying in a rather high pitched voice 'Mellow please stop sniffing his butt' and by God she'd stop." 

Abbey glanced up at her husband. "Exactly who was sniffing whose butt pray tell?" 

"Oh, I don't remember. It all became a blur at some point. Thomas was determined to make friends so he was sniffing. That's when Griffin objected and tried to rip his ear off. So Thomas moved on the Mellow instead. She seems much more receptive to the idea, but wanted to sniff Thomas' butt in return. Mattie objected to that so Sarah and I were supposed to regain control of our dogs. Dart was feeling left out of the fun. He really is fast, I must say... ...He 'darted' into the mix at which time things got a little tangled." 

"Jed was there a dog fight at your first lesson?" 

"Of course not... ....seeing that the situation called for fast thinking and diplomacy, I took charge, waded into the middle and with my most authoritative voice shouted 'Sit....Stay'. The dogs were so shocked by this display of Presidential power they all froze where they stood. Order was quickly restored." He looked very proud of himself. 

"Way to go Babe. Sounds like you really made an impression." Abbey squeezed his knee with enthusiasm. 

"The most amazing part of it was we haven't even covered the 'sit-stay' command yet." Jed ran his hand over her thigh giving her a look of determination. "I'll tell you what, Thomas and I are going to practice till we drop. We're not letting that little ten year old show us up again." 

"Your competitive side is showing Jed." Reaching back Abbey switched off the table lamp behind the couch. She slid her hand up under his sweater, rubbing his chest lightly. 

"Yeah, well I have a certain reputation to uphold." He pulled his sweater off over his head tossing it on the coffee table. Shifting his body Jed moved to lay down next to her. 

Abbey dropped her head back against the pillows allowing Jed some room to maneuver. "Really and what would that be exactly? Dog trainer extraordinaire?" 

"Among other things. I have skills, you know." 


	8. Top Dog 8

**Top Dog**

**by:** Netcord

**Character(s):** Jed, Abbey, Leo, Charlie, Zoey  
**Pairing(s):** Jed/Abbey  
**Category(s):** Humor/Romance  
**Rating:** ADULT  
**Disclaimer:** Jed & Abbey were created by Aaron Sorkin. Thomas belongs to me.  
**Summary:** Jed and Abbey move forward into their new life back in Hew Hampshire. Life is never dull at the Bartlet Farm. Hail, hail... the gang's mostly all here!!  
**Author's Note:** The is a sequel to my previous story "It's A Dog's Life". For the sake of continuity you might want to read that first. In appreciation: I need to thank Mayhem who has been a huge help with this story all along the way. She has been a true sounding board, test reader, spell checker & over all encouraging friend. 

* * *

**Pt.8**

~~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~~~ 

The frenetic barking in the kitchen should have been a warning, yet Jed continued to explore the deep recesses of Abbey's mouth with his tongue. She had opened his belt and zipper reaching in to stroke him until Jed could no longer stand the tightness of his jeans. Desperately he pushed at his waistband with one hand coaxing his pants down over his hips. At last Jed freed himself, moaning with relief when Abbey expanded her warm touch to include his entire groin. His lips moved to her bare breasts eagerly seeking the aroused nipples he knew were waiting for his attention. 

"Mom!... Dad!... .You home?" The barking had subsided, but the footsteps got louder. "Oh my God. Who's the chaperone around here?" 

Jed scrambled off the couch yanking his pants up as he went. He grabbed his sweater off the coffee table tossing it on top of Abbey. Fastening his belt Jed came to attention positioning himself between his wife's mostly naked body and the study doorway, where he found Zoey covering her eyes with Charlie standing in the hall behind her, staring at the ceiling. 

"Sweetheart... ...I didn't know you were coming home tonight." Jed was most definitely blushing while attempting to spot where his shirt had landed. 

"Dad, I sent you an e-mail before lunch. Charlie and I are meeting with Fr. O'Neill in the morning." Zoey rolled her eyes shaking her head like a disapproving parent. "Hi Mom... We're going to the den. Until you two start acting your age you should really get a better warning system. Thomas basically said, 'Sure go on in'." 

Abbey sat up clutching the sweater to her chest. She tugged on Jed's back pocket, "Babe, did you forget to check your e-mails today?" 

"Shut up... ....come on let's move this upstairs. I think we both need a shower." He held out a hand to her wiggling his eyebrows. 

~~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~~~ 

Charlie bounded down the back stairs two at time swinging around the corner into the kitchen. He smelled the coffee and hot cakes that Abbey had in the works. He had been accepted as part of this family long ago. There were no strings in regards to his relationship with Zoey. Charlie knew this in his heart and loved Abbey & Jed for all the support he had received over the last eight years. 

"Hey Cutie. Are you hungry?" Abbey piled the hot cakes onto a serving plate bringing them over the table. She had been up early for her usual walk. She glided across the floor in her ragg socks, her boots having been left standing by the back door. 

Charlie was always amazed by her energy, especially when he knew the President and she had not gone to bed until late." I'd love some of those and a hot cup of coffee. Thank you." 

"Take what you want before Jed gets in here. He's liable to spear the whole stack. I think he worked up an appetite last night." Charlie looked at her sideways catching her wink. 

"Where are they? Zoey came down before I got out of the shower." He dropped four hot cakes on his plate reaching for the syrup. 

"Jed's showing off his new Dell. Zoey doesn't believe he knows how to open his e-mail." 

Down the hall in the study Zoey leaned on her father's shoulders watching as he booted up his newest toy. He had turned up the volume so she wouldn't miss the MSN welcome lady say "Hello Top Dog." Jed chuckled and puffed out his chest. He easily clicked on his new mail finding Zoey's unread message from the day before. 

"See," she chided "you should check it at least once a day. Once word gets around that you're no longer a 'computer virgin'....." 

"Hey, don't use that kind of language in my presence." Jed gave her a look over his glasses. 

"Dad... ..all I'm saying is e-mail can build up fast. Then you have to sort through the spam to find the important stuff." She bent down to kiss the side of his neck. "Look you have some items in your saved mail." 

"What IS my saved mail? I don't think I saved anything." 

Grabbing the mouse Zoey scrolled down clicking here and there. Miracle of miracles... .there on the screen was... .Abbey standing in their bedroom door in black lace panties and Notre Dame tank top giving Jed her famous come hither look. 

The silence at that moment was deafening. They both stared at the image. Jed cleared his throat, tapping his fingers on the desktop. Zoey squeezed the back of his neck whispering in his ear, "Like I've said before... some people never grow up." 

Jed quickly punched the exit button jumping up from his chair. "We better get into the kitchen before Charlie eats all the hot cakes." 

"Mom stole my tank top." 

"And she looked damn hot in it too." Jed put his arm around Zoey's shoulders pulling her in tight, planting a kiss to the top of her head. 

~~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~~~ 

Deeana finished color coding the schedule... ...green for Manchester, blue for Dartmouth, yellow for other out of town engagements and red for all those things she knew her boss wouldn't care about. A breeze blew down the hall from the kitchen before she heard the sound of four huge hairy paws coming her way. She braced herself against the side of the desk. Thomas blew into the room making a beeline right for her. 

"Hey pal. How was dog school? Did you learn anything on your first day?" Deeana ruffled his ears playfully trying to hold her ground as he pressed into her knees with his cold body. 

"He learned that a young yellow beauty named Mellow smells good." Jed slapped his thigh. "Thomas stop mashing Deeana." 

"Sir, I like your new slacks. Very sporty." She shook her head in approval. 

"Abbey says I can revert back to my old Ivy League look now that I'm scheduled to speak at Dartmouth." He swayed his hips. "Lands' End I think. Will I fit in up there okay?" 

"Absolutely Mr. President. They don't wear too many suits in Hanover I don't believe. Jeans or khakis will fit in perfectly." Picking up the cleverly highlighted schedule, Deeana followed Jed back to his office. 

"Did we decide on a date yet?" Jed snapped his fingers pointing to the LL Bean bed behind his desk. Amazingly Thomas went directly to it and lay down. "Good boy, Thomas, now see if you can stay there for more than five minutes." 

"April 26th. They want to get you in before the semester ends so the Seniors will have a chance to meet with you. So many students and faculty signed up to hear your speech they had to close out the underclassmen." 

"That sounds promising. I guess I should get to work and write a speech to deliver. What else?" 

"I left a report for you there on the desk. Curtis finished finding that information you asked for on Ramon Estevez." 

"Really." Jed flipped through the rather thick stack of pages. "Anything special I should take note of." 

"Actually sir, I'd have to say most of it is noteworthy. Mr. Estevez is a very interesting man." Deeana held another sheet out to him. "Plus this e-mail has just come for you in today's messages." 

Jed glanced at the message... ... .. 

Subject : Traveling East  
Date: April 2,2006 9:37:03 EST  
From: Estevez.RGA@earthlink.net   
To: J.Bartlet@F&GW.org   


_Dear Sir,  
After my wife's recent visit to Manchester to see our sons, Carlos and Ramon, she spoke with great fondness of you and Mrs. Bartlet. The trust and kindness you have shown to my family is greatly appreciated. Janet mentioned that you might have an interest in meeting with me to discuss some of my work with the disenfranchised. This could be beneficial for both of us. I plan to be in the East later in the month. Perhaps we could arrange to meet then if it is convenient for you. I will get in touch with your office when my travel plans are finalized. With respect. Peace, Ramon Estevez_


	9. Top Dog 9

**Top Dog**

**by:** Netcord

**Character(s):** Jed, Abbey, Leo, Charlie, Zoey  
**Pairing(s):** Jed/Abbey  
**Category(s):** Humor/Romance  
**Rating:** ADULT  
**Disclaimer:** Jed & Abbey were created by Aaron Sorkin. Thomas belongs to me.  
**Summary:** Jed and Abbey move forward into their new life back in Hew Hampshire. Life is never dull at the Bartlet Farm. Hail, hail... the gang's mostly all here!!  
**Author's Note:** The is a sequel to my previous story "It's A Dog's Life". For the sake of continuity you might want to read that first. In appreciation: I need to thank Mayhem who has been a huge help with this story all along the way. She has been a true sounding board, test reader, spell checker & over all encouraging friend. 

* * *

**Pt. 9**

~~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~~~ 

Jed swivelled his chair back and forth while he alternately gazed out the office window and read the report on one R.G.A. Estevez. This guy was quite interesting as it turned out. Jed could easily see where Carlos and Ramon got their personality. They were great kids, very courteous, friendly, and industrious. 

__Ramon Estevez marches in California with  
United Farm Workers seeking better wages  
and fair treatment for migrant workers.  


Estevez, R. arrested for stepping over the line,  
kneeling and reciting the Lord's Prayer at   
Los Alamos while protesting US nuclear program.  


The plight of the homeless gets a helping hand   
from activist Ramon Estevez and several Jesuit   
priests when they sleep on the streets of Washington, DC. 

Curtis had been quite thorough in his research. There were even photos of the police leading Ramon away in handcuffs on many occasions. One photographer had caught him sticking his tongue out at reporters in a rebellious display upon entering a courthouse in California. This man had guts for sure. He obviously stood firmly in his Catholic faith which is a lot more than most. But was this the sort of man an ex-President should associate with? Ramon did have an extensive arrest record... ..though he was a pacifist and nonviolent in carrying out acts of civil disobedience. Hell if I had stayed with the church I very well could have walked side by side with this guy. 

__Ramon Estevez traveled abroad with Catholic Services  
bringing aid to African countries ravaged by famine   
and the Aids pandemic. 

"What did I quote to Will? 'That a small group of thoughtful  & committed citizens can change the world.'" 

"It's the only thing that ever has, sir." Jed swung around to find Deeana standing in front of his desk. "I think your right sir. So often the government gets bogged down in debate and compromise. Private citizens seem to accomplish more in a shorter period of time." 

"You may very well be right on that, Deeana." Holding up the report Jed continued, "What's your opinion of Mr. Ramon Estevez?" 

"He seems extremely dedicated to some very worthwhile causes. He gets around. His work is not just limited to local needs in LA. He keeps company with some interesting rabble rousing Jesuits. And, I can see where Carlos and young Ramon get their good looks. The man is very attractive." She smiled warmly. "Plus I'm convinced he is completely sincere in his beliefs." 

Jed considered her thoughts looking back at the pictures. "How can you tell he's sincere in his beliefs?" 

"It's in his eyes sir... ..They are the windows to the soul." 

~~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~~~ 

Mattie directed her merry little group to proceed in a clockwise direction. There would be no reversing until she felt confident everyone had the basics of 'heeling & sitting' under control. Control had many meanings Jed found out quickly. 

Control could be... 'power of directing' or 'power of restraining'. Then again it might be 'means of restraint' or especially 'self -restraint'. Jed thought it was more a sense of leadership, authority, and guidance. Thomas felt it was more along the lines of repression, dominance and curbing one's enthusiasm. 

And so they proceeded in a clockwise direction along with Mellow, Dart and Griffin who clearly had their people under control. Every twenty feet or so Jed would suddenly stop yanking upward and back sharply on the leash. His rather large meaty left hand came down firmly on Thomas' rump pushing him into a sitting position. Silence would prevail for a moment of suspense, then suddenly... ."Thomas... heel!" Jed would lead off with his left foot. The leash once again yanking if Thomas didn't move with him, keeping in stride. This continued for a seemingly endless period. If when sitting Thomas slouched in such a way as to lean against Jed's leg he would be nudged rather rudely to sit up straight. On the next stop Thomas decided to slouch in the outward direction to avoid this nudging. That turned out to be a worse decision. Jed shortened the leash jerking Thomas forward just enough to straighten out his 'sit position'. 

Mattie must have been worn down in her resolve for perfection. "Let's try a reverse and see how it goes. First we'll all turn to the right. Tighten your leashes so the dogs know they need to keep up with you." 

Jed was psyched to try something new. He stepped out at a quick pace. When the command was given to 'reverse' everyone turned promptly to the right and went back in the opposite direction. The shortened leash effectively kept Thomas' head by Jed's left knee. His hind quarters, however, swung wide throwing them both off line like a tractor trailer going around a sharp curve in a high gear. After the second reverse Thomas' was getting a little perturbed at having his neck yanked with such regularity. By the third reverse Thomas was ready. Jed made his move to the right and Thomas sped up sufficiently to keep his whole body exactly on line with each step. 

"Good boy....Thomas. That's the ticket." Thomas looked up to see Jed grinning at him with pride. 

~~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~~~ 

Nellie Blye perched herself on the edge of the desk in Jed's study. There had been a lot of talk lately about a strange mouse without a tail. She decided to come see for herself and take care of business if necessary. Jed sat up to the computer composing an e-mail to his old COS. He showed no concern about rodents or much of anything else. Occasionally an arrow flickered across the screen which caught Nellie's eye. She strolled over to have a closer look. 

Subject: The Art of the Sit & Stay  
Date: 4/3/06 9:14:12 PM EST  
From: TopDog@msn.com  
To: LT.McGarry@msn.com

_Leo, what have you gotten me into? I may flunk out of  
school for the first time in my life._

Jed flicked his hand to deflect the paw that reached across the screen. 

__Today was the big day for 'sit & stay' at obedience school.   
Thomas and I had successfully mastered the 'heel & stop'   
and even the dreaded 'heel & reverse' maneuver. 

The paw snaked it's way back across the keyboard. Nellie curled her toes so she could play with Jed's fingers as he tried to type. "Nellie I see you. I do." She batted her eyes at him. Just his voice saying her name made her purr. "You're undoubtedly the prettiest cat in the Bartlet family. Now could you please lie down and let me write to Leo?" Nellie acquiesced stretching out behind the upraised screen so that her ears and peeked out on the left side while her twelve inch tail twitched on the right. 

__The trainer lined us all up on the same side of the room. Thomas  
and I were on one end of the line. He can't sit straight Leo. The   
dog's spine is like a piece of toffee. He droops and slouches from  
side to side. I think it has to do with gravitational pull. 

Thomas could hear Jed's voice as he talked out loud to himself while he typed. It was a system that helped him located the keys more easily. Coming down the hall from the kitchen Thomas saw Nellie draping herself all over the desk. What a floozy. She was always sneaking around trying to get Jed's attention. 

'Hey Nellie... why don't you just lie on the keyboard?' Thomas came to sit next to Jed's chair. 

Nellie flipped her tail around the end of the screen, swishing it up  & down as if the computer were sprouting appendages. 'Shut up you little twit. I understand you can't even sit properly.' 

Thomas contemplated this... .. 'Jed just said, "Thomas sit." He never clarified exactly how it should be done. I mean it's so confusing....."To sit: rest ones buttocks on the ground." I did my best.' 

'You're still a pathetic pansy.' Nellie licked her paws, smoothing back her whiskers. 

__So then we are told to leave our dogs sitting in a row and walk  
across the room to the other side. The idea being that they had   
the self-control to stay still until we returned. There's Dart,   
Griffin and Mellow all in a row. Our boy is panting, staring at   
Mellow who was purposely placed on the other end of the line,   
and then he took the time to lick his crotch. 

The cat tail swishing was getting annoying. Jed delicately seized the tail between his thumb and index finger placing it back behind the screen. 

__I had to straighten him up numerous times. The crowning  
moment came when Mattie suggested we all try to call   
our dogs and have them "Come" across to us on the other   
side of the room. Can I just say now I thought this was   
a terrible idea. It was a lot like watching a horrendous car   
accident happening right before your eyes.   
I looked Thomas in the eyes and in my most authoritative   
voice said, "Thomas come" and repeatedly slapped my   
legs to keep his attention. He was right on track.....I thought  
we were home free... and then, half way across the room,   
damn if he didn't veer right across in front of Dart and   
Griffin. Mellow of course couldn't resist the idea of meeting  
our boy right in the middle of the room for a little... shall   
we call it a 'canine tryst'. 

I mean Leo,.....I thought for sure we would be expelled right   
there and then. Doggie romance is not the sort of thing I am used to   
dealing with. I'm blaming this all on YOU. 

The tail returned this time twitching manically over the keyboard. Nellie's eyes had narrowed to slits. She appeared to be glaring at Thomas who sat up straight for the first time today. 

'Thomas , you are an embarrassment to the family. How could you? Right in the middle of the room? This Mellow must be some sort of hotty dog . You have to focus for Jed's sake. He is counting on you to uphold the Bartlet family name.' 

'Shut up Nellie... .when have you ever had to heel, sit or come when you're called?' 

'Don't be ridiculous, Thomas. That's what dogs are for.' 


	10. Top Dog 10

**Top Dog**

**by:** Netcord

**Character(s):** Jed, Abbey, Leo, Charlie, Zoey  
**Pairing(s):** Jed/Abbey  
**Category(s):** Humor/Romance  
**Rating:** ADULT  
**Disclaimer:** Jed & Abbey were created by Aaron Sorkin. Thomas belongs to me.  
**Summary:** Jed and Abbey move forward into their new life back in Hew Hampshire. Life is never dull at the Bartlet Farm. Hail, hail... the gang's mostly all here!!  
**Author's Note:** The is a sequel to my previous story "It's A Dog's Life". For the sake of continuity you might want to read that first. In appreciation: I need to thank Mayhem who has been a huge help with this story all along the way. She has been a true sounding board, test reader, spell checker & over all encouraging friend. 

* * *

**Pt.10**

***** ***** ***** 

Jed and Thomas arrived a little early for lesson number three. Full of energy and enthusiasm Thomas was thrilled to see Mattie coming to greet them. As soon as she got within range he jumped up hoping to give her a big wet kiss. Instead Mattie brought her knee up sharply to his chest knocking him down with an authoritative command, "Thomas down." 

"Wow... that was quite a move there, Mattie." Jed watched as Thomas caught his breath and attempted to regain his composure. 

"Mr. President I have been meaning to talk to you. I need to teach you about Alpha dogs. It could be very helpful with your training of our friend here. I think Thomas is ready for some 'tough love'." 

***** ***** ***** 

Abbey stretched out on the bed with a stack of folders on her lap. The softness of the pillowtop mattress cover felt like heaven after her first day at Catholic Medical Center. Dr. Daniel Spitzer had welcomed her with high hopes that Abbey would be a great addition to the team of the NE. Heart Institute. Abbey was bringing long years of experience, serious medical hutzpa, and leadership qualities that were much needed in teaching the younger staff members. He had greeted her with open arms, then handed her an ominous pile of case files to review. 

Abbey had made it clear she did not intend to re-enter the operating room. Her goal was to spend her time consulting with staff and counseling patients. Pre-op and post-op patient care was crucial to a successful course of treatment. This was where Abbey wanted to concentrate her time and talent. 

She lay back against the pillows, having stolen one of Jed's to prop herself up. Her glasses slid down her nose slightly. Abbey scribbled a quick thought on a note pad rather than marking directly on the records. She had made rounds that morning meeting many of the current patients. It saddened her to find that young children made up a high percentage of her case load. Some had heart defects, others suffered from degenerative heart disease. Often the children were much braver than their adult counterparts. These young patients never failed to give her pause no matter how many years she practiced medicine. 

While Abbey read on, the ruckus in the den grew louder and she could swear it sounded like furniture was moving. She had left Jed and Thomas as they headed out for their last walk of the night. Obviously they had returned... .but what the hell?? 

Abbey pulled the throw blanket around her shoulders, creeping down the stairs. No need to give the agent on duty a flash of her short night shirt. The distinct blend of playful growling and Jed's deep baritone were interrupted by some sort of physical struggle. 

"Stay down... .I won fair and square." 

This comment was followed by a low groaning and a loud grunt. 

"I'm the boss of you! We'll do this every night until you accept who is the Alpha dog in this household. And don't bite... . You have an unfair advantage." 

Sticking her head in the door Abbey thought the den was empty at first. Then the couch slid back slightly banging into the table set behind it. The table lamp teetered momentarily. 

"Jed?" Abbey stepped around the couch to find her husband on top of Thomas holding him down with a pinning combination. The poor dog's snout was barely visible sticking out by Jed's ear. His tail was attempting to wag between Jed's legs. Thomas' front legs were effectively pinned under Jed's chest, but his hind legs where pushing with gusto against his opponent's stomach and thighs. "Really Jed... .we need to get the grand kids up here to visit more often. Or if you'd like to come up stairs, I'd be happy to... ." 

Jed popped up with a grin on his face. His shirt was half way open, he was slightly out of breath, and his bangs stuck straight out over his forehead. "I won round one. It's tough love baby from here on out. I'm the Alpha male of this pack." 

"Well that certainly is good to know. I see we've been learning a little 'doggie psychology'. Thomas come on while you can still walk. It's bedtime." 

***** ***** ***** 

Jed rolled his chair back almost squashing Deeana's toes in the process. "I give up. I know the schedule is in there, but figuring our how to find it is about making me crazy. Can't we just, you know, write it down on paper like we use to?" His pleading blue eyes almost broke her resolve to pull him into the computer age. 

"Sir, you've moved into a new age now. There is no going back. Besides Mrs. B told me she's sick of pulling all those notes out of your pockets at the end of the day. The ones she misses get all wadded up in the washer. They clog up the drain filter. You don't want to have to get Carlos over there to retrieve your memos from drain pipes do you?" Deeana pushed the chair off her foot and back into the desk. Leaning over Jed's shoulder she clicked opened the 'Windows Explorer'. "Look here, Mr. President... .." She ran the cursor down the list that had appeared. "This is all your important stuff. Right here..... is 'Bartlet's Schedule'. Just click on that to open and voila... ... your schedule for today and if you want you can look ahead for the week, the month or beyond." 

Jed had to admit this was not so mysterious if he just remained calm and paid proper attention. 

"I'm going to create an icon for your desktop. See there it is. It will be your direct shortcut for the Windows Explorer list. No hunting or guessing required." The little folder with the spyglass was right there at the top of his screen. Jed could even see it without his glasses on. "And remember sir, if you're going to be away from your computer or out of the office we can print the schedule any time for you to carry with you." 

"That's good. That's a good idea... ...Thanks." Jed was feeling somewhat more at ease with all this computer stuff. It just amazed him. The amount of information, organization and ever changing technology was so mind boggling. 

"Mrs. Bartlet wasn't kidding when she said you had your shy side when it comes to computers." Deeana gave him an encouraging pat on the shoulder. "But I think the bloom is off that rose now sir." 

They both looked up when they heard the knock on the door frame. Charlie stood in the office doorway hands clasp in front of him. His sharp eyes focused on his sister. 

"Hey, Charlie come on in... .Your sister has just added 'Windows Explorer' to my repertoire." Jed smiled waving him in. "Thanks Deeana, I'll do my best not to disappoint." 

Charlie turned aside as Deeana passed out into the hall. He sauntered over to sit in the chair by Jed's desk. Jed knew Charlie had been in Boston to interview with the folks at Harvard Law, but was a little surprised at this visit. He shut the computer off closing the lid. He glanced at his watch finding it to be closer to lunch time than he realized. 

"You know what,.... I'm hungry. Let's go see what we can find in the kitchen. It may be a salad. Your sister runs a tight ship around here." Jed put an arm around Charlie's shoulders sensing that something was up with the young man. Perhaps some food and a cold beer would temper any anxiety Charlie was feeling about opening up to his future father-in-law. 

Handing Charlie an open Sam Adams, they came to sit at one end of the oversized table. "So how'd it go? They offer you any money?" Jed stabbed a few shrimp off the top of his spinach salad. 

"Yes sir. They will take me in September on almost a free ride." He still didn't look like someone who had just been accepted to the premiere law school in the country. 

"And Zoey is set for Psychology there?" 

"Yep. All we need to do is find a decent place to live. But... ." Charlie took a long gulp of his beer. 

"You know what Charlie, it's going to be fine. You both have been accepted. You'll find a great apartment nearby and all the rest will work itself out." Jed reached across to touch Charlie's arm. He nodded to assure him that he and Zoey were on the right path. 

"May I ask sir, how did you and Mrs. Bartlet manage when you were first married. I mean with Grad school, Med school, the hours, the studying and then Lizzie?" Charlie sank back in his chair as if a huge weight was bearing down on him. 

"Charlie, you're not telling me Zoey is expecting." Jed leaned in on the table. 

"No.....no. Nothing like that sir." Charlie dipped his head with uncharacteristic self doubt. 

"Look at me... " Jed gestured with his hand for Charlie to lift his chin so he could look him right in the eyes. "Is this going to be easy? No way. Will the two of you have to make a monumental and continuous effort. Yes you will. You are both incredibly bright and capable young people. I have no doubt your love is more than strong enough to endure the work, the studying, the stress of reaching your goals... Use that love to carry you through. Support each other. Believe in each other. There is nothing in this world more uplifting than knowing there is one special person who is standing beside you." 

Charlie shrugged his shoulders back, sitting up a little straighter. Jed held his gaze for a moment longer, then pointed with his fork. "Now eat your salad." 

"What did Deeana mean about 'the bloom being off the rose'?" 


	11. Top Dog 11

**Top Dog**

**by:** Netcord

**Character(s):** Jed, Abbey, Leo, Charlie, Zoey  
**Pairing(s):** Jed/Abbey  
**Category(s):** Humor/Romance  
**Rating:** ADULT  
**Disclaimer:** Jed & Abbey were created by Aaron Sorkin. Thomas belongs to me.  
**Summary:** Jed and Abbey move forward into their new life back in Hew Hampshire. Life is never dull at the Bartlet Farm. Hail, hail... the gang's mostly all here!!  
**Author's Note:** The is a sequel to my previous story "It's A Dog's Life". For the sake of continuity you might want to read that first. In appreciation: I need to thank Mayhem who has been a huge help with this story all along the way. She has been a true sounding board, test reader, spell checker & over all encouraging friend. 

* * *

**Pt.11**

***** ***** ***** 

They each grabbed a corner of the bedspread folding it down to the bottom of the bed. 

"Does Charlie have cold feet?" Abbey wondered out loud. 

"No. I don't think it's that at all. He is trying to see into the future. He's not comfortable will all the unknowns. But you know that's how it is sometimes. Unknowns everywhere you turn." 

"He'll be too busy to worry once they get married and get themselves settled in Boston." 

"I told him we would always be here to back them up if needs be. He knew that though. I think he just needed to hear me say it out loud." 

Jed sat on the side of the bed kicking his shoes off while contemplating his Grad school years. It certainly was no picnic. There had been just enough arrogance on his part to have that "I can conquer the world" attitude. Of course knowing Abbey was with him made all the difference. 

Abbey whacked the pillows several times, plumping them up before tossing them back into place. She came around as Jed shrugged out of his shirt to reveal some long red scratches on his stomach. He brushed his finger tips over the sore raised skin. 

"Jed have you been wrestling with Thomas again?" 

"No. We took a night off. These are from the other day. He's much stronger than you would think Abbey. Mattie says I'm not tough enough with him. She thinks I'm a softie." Jed lay back across the bed to unbuckle his belt. 

"Mattie's hit that nail on the head." Abbey leaned over Jed running her hand up over his silver haired chest. She loved the feel of his ribs under her palm. 

"Do you think I need a doctor? I feel like I've been wounded." He gave her his best wounded puppy dog face. "It's tough being the Alpha male." 

"A hot shower and a little neosporin wouldn't hurt." Abbey winked at him reaching out both hands to pull him off of the bed. "Mattie didn't actually tell you to wrestle with Thomas did she? Because if she did I'm thinking you need to learn a few more moves. Pretty soon he's going to be as big as you are. Then he's going to be wracking up the back points." 

Jed sprang up from the bed letting his pants drop to the floor, a move he had already mastered. "She didn't specifically say to wrestle with him. Her main point was that Thomas needs to know I'm the leader of his pack." 

"We're his pack?" 

"Yes....that's it. We're his pack now. He needs a leader so he can be secure in knowing who the boss really is. Leo said 'If you lead, he will follow'. Do you get it? Thomas wants me to be his leader, but first I must prove myself to him. Mattie says it is very important or Thomas could become ornery and belligerent. I need to set boundaries and be consistent. 'A well trained dog is a happy dog'." 

The hot water shooting from the multi directional showerheads felt like a thousand fluid fingers massaging his body. Jed titled his head this way and that letting the spray hit him from all sides. The mist started to collect on the glass doors as he worked the shampoo into his hair. What was he using these days.... "Fruitopia"? Oh Lord, what was Abbey doing to him? His head would smell like a fruit bowl. Jed wiped his hand on the glass squinting through the portal he created. 

Abbey stood at the sink, one leg up on the counter carefully shaving around her kneecap. She occasionally held the razor under the running water rinsing the excess soap down the drain. Then she bent forward reaching toward her ankle to draw the blade up her calf in a slow even stroke. She wore one of Jed's pajama tops which hung open except for two buttons near the top. The tails hung back at her hips showing the royal blue lace at the edge of her panties. 

The portal fogged over. Jed quickly rubbed his hand around making the spot bigger than before. Abbey picked up a damp wash cloth gently running it up and down her leg to catch any soap she might have missed. Now she applied her moisturizing cream being sure to include her foot and ankle. Using both hands she rubbed it into her skin finishing high up high near the royal blue lace. 

Her task completed, Abbey turned suddenly catching Jed watching her. He cleared his throat ducking back under the spray to finish washing himself. "You know Babe, I was wondering if you and Thomas might like to participate in the 'Canine Companions Program' at the Medical Center. On special days manageable friendly dogs are brought in to pay visits to the patients who are there for long term care." Abbey could see the outline of Jed's back and rear through the foggy glass doors. The tempered glass created a rather abstract form, but this was a body she had seen a million times. No fog or glass could shield him from her eyes. His shoulders were still broad, his back was strong, those hips curved down to a shapely rear. Abbey just loved to put her hands... .. 

"That might be fun, Abbey. Do you think Thomas would behave well enough?" Jed turned running his hands over his chest and torso to hasten the rinsing process. 

His barrel chest stood out through the fog as his hands trailed down to his waist. And, oh God, he turned once more giving her a full frontal view of his masculine form. Was this by design or just her good fortune? Jed had never been one for false modesty. He had always been more than comfortable with his body. And he should be. For a man his age he definitely still 'had it'. 

"Abbey?.....do you think Thomas would behave OK in the hospital?" 

"Um,..... yes, I think he'd be perfect. He'd need to be on a tight leash, but the kids and adults would all love him. You could bring him in yourself or drop him off with me." The shower shut off. Abbey spun around to wash her face as Jed slid the door back grabbing his towel off the rack. 

Jed wrapped the towel around his waist tucking it in at the hip. He hadn't bothered to dry himself off. The water from his hair dripped down over his chest. Little beads of moisture clung to the hair on his torso. He focused on Abbey's shapely behind as she bent forward splashing water on her face. Stepping up behind her his hands found of her waist. She knew he was coming and didn't move. Though separately, they had been dancing for the last forty minutes. Jed slid his hands around her drawing her to him. He met no resistance as the pajama top lay open exposing her belly and thighs to his touch. Abbey turned her head slightly at the feel of his warm lips near her ear. Looking at his reflection in the mirror Abbey could see that Jed's eyes were already closed. His hands began to roam over her breasts and abdomen. He swept his palm across her nipples over and over. The fingertips of his other hand dipped into the waistband of her panties. Pressing himself up against her Jed pushed his hand steadily downward until he could feel the wetness between her legs. He breathed deeply stroking her with a rhythmic gentle touch. Abbey began to sway her hips, leaning back into him. 

"God Jed, what you do to me." Her hand was covering his hand urging him to quicken his pace. 

He whispered in her ear, "I'm just getting warmed up Sweet thing. Hang on tight." 

His lips moved down the side of her neck where he was determined to leave his mark. Abbey reached up running her fingers through his wet hair. Pressing her hip back into Jed's Abbey could feel him rubbing against her. The effect of all this touching, stroking and rubbing was moving Jed quickly beyond his power to stop. His erection was now hard and throbbing. The question in his mind became 'Can we make it back out to the bedroom or is this vanity counter built strong enough for passionate love making?' 

"Abbey, turn to me Sweetheart." She immediately turned to face him. Jed brushed some candles aside, lifting Abbey onto the counter next to the sink sliding her back against the mirror. He took her face in his hands kissing her so deeply they both felt dizzy. Catching his breath Jed gripped the edge of the counter leaning his weight on it. It seemed mighty sturdy to him. "God bless those boys from California." 

He yanked the towel loose from his waist stepping in between Abbey's legs. If she touched him Jed knew he'd be done. He motioned for Abbey to hold onto his shoulders while he removed her panties. Then sliding her hips to the edge of the counter he sunk himself in deep and fast. There was nothing subtle about this now. Abbey's fingernails dug into his shoulders as she hung on for dear life. His thrusts came harder by the second, driving her back into the mirror. This was wild. It was a bit rough. It excited her beyond belief. Abbey reached for Jed's hips pulling him closer and holding him up when he groaned loudly and spent his last. He collapsed into her arms where she held him tight. 

"I've got you Babe... .I've got you." 

***** ***** ***** 

The halls of Catholic Medical Center were cool and impressively clean. People hustled by dressed in white coats, green scrubs and a blend of street clothes or bathrobes. If ever Thomas was going to listen to Jed now was the time. 

"Thomas....heel boy." Jed had decided to come for this special visit with Thomas. It wasn't often Abbey invited him to her workplace. She had always gone about her job with a certain level of professionalism he admired. This was serious business... the saving of lives. Abbey was the world class doctor in this family. Whether she believed it or not Jed respected that beyond words. 

As they approached the central reception area for the New England Heart Institute Jed could see Abbey waiting for them. There were several other dogs milling about with their owners. None that Jed recognized. He grasped the leash tightly when Thomas lurched forward to greet Abbey. She kneeled down to pat him softly on the ears, cooing quietly and then scratching his furry black chest. 

"This is a special thing you are doing today Thomas. I am counting on you to be on your best behavior." Abbey continued to scratch his chest. 

Jed could swear Thomas got all dreamy eyed as Abbey spoke to him. He was in a trance almost, letting her words wash over him, releasing all the pent up energy he had displayed on the ride over from Jed's office. It was amazing how well he listened to her. She never raised her voice to him or made any sudden movements. Her calmness seemed to flow into his young lanky body. Thomas looked up into Abbey's face waiting for her instructions. 

"Okay, I think we're ready to go see the kids." Abbey led the way. Thomas heeled right at Jed's side as they followed their leader down the corridor toward the pediatric wing. 

As soon as the door swung open faces lit up at the sight of Thomas walking beside the former President. Some of the children were sitting in a common room in wheel chairs while others were confined to bed. Jed cautiously led Thomas to each child in turn amazed at his good manners. One shy boy clad in a red terry bathrobe held his tiny hand out to receive a lick from Thomas' long pink tongue. The boy squealed with delight wiping his hand on the lapel of his robe. A young blonde girl waited patiently for her turn asking if it was Okay to give Thomas a kiss on the head. Jed brought him close enough that Thomas laid his head on her lap momentarily where he was rewarded with a gentle kiss. 

Abbey stood watch satisfied that her hunch was correct. This visit was as much fun for Jed and Thomas as it was for the patients. Jed beamed asking each child their name. He introduced himself as Jed, acting surprised when many of the children knew exactly who he was. Even more knew who Thomas was. He was the President's dog, the one who ate eclairs and chased geese into the frozen pond. Thomas was like a canine celebrity. Jed made sure that every child who wanted to pat or hug Thomas got their chance to do so. Thomas soaked up all the love, relishing the attention. 

Abbey took Thomas to visit on the adult floor. He walked respectfully with her to greet the numerous post-op patients. The consensus was that Thomas had the softest ears any of them had every felt. Jed ended up shaking hands with many there who wanted him to stop and chat about his plans for the future. They asked his opinion on the new administration. Some questions he dodged around diplomatically. One however he answered with conviction. He planned to make sure that a monthly visit to the NE Heart Institute was put on his schedule when he returned to his office. That assuming he could find his schedule in his computer. 

Strolling back down the corridor Jed held Abbey's hand while Thomas led the way. It had been a rewarding start to the day. All three of them were feeling pleased with themselves that perhaps they had made at least a small difference in the lives of patients who were dealing with some very serious health issues. 

"Joy cometh in the morning... ." the scripture says. 


	12. Top Dog 12

**Top Dog**

**by:** Netcord

**Character(s):** Jed, Abbey, Leo, Charlie, Zoey  
**Pairing(s):** Jed/Abbey  
**Category(s):** Humor/Romance  
**Rating:** ADULT  
**Disclaimer:** Jed & Abbey were created by Aaron Sorkin. Thomas belongs to me.  
**Summary:** Jed and Abbey move forward into their new life back in Hew Hampshire. Life is never dull at the Bartlet Farm. Hail, hail... the gang's mostly all here!!  
**Author's Note:** The is a sequel to my previous story "It's A Dog's Life". For the sake of continuity you might want to read that first. In appreciation: I need to thank Mayhem who has been a huge help with this story all along the way. She has been a true sounding board, test reader, spell checker & over all encouraging friend. 

* * *

**Pt.12**

***** ***** ***** 

When was the last Sunday Abbey had stepped out onto the farmhouse porch to find Jed laying in a hammock with Mozart floating out of the kitchen window into the backyard. She paused at the top step to consider this concluding that it may well have been before he went to Congress. This hammock was no ordinary hammock. It was a genuine Original Pawley's Island rope hammock shipped from the 'Low Country' of South Carolina. It had solid oak steam-bent spreader bars and zinc plated hanging hardware. This particular hammock was deluxe size with plenty of spare room to share with a friend. The ladies of the West Wing had gotten together, sending it as a retirement gift for their Commander-in-Chief. 

It was an unusually warm day for late April in New Hampshire. Though he was shaded by the nearby oaks Jed had dropped his shoes on the grass, stretching out with what ever book he was working on at the moment. He was in jeans and shirt sleeves with his glasses propped on his nose in such a way that he could read lying down without straining his neck. The book was sitting up on his chest supported by one hand. Thomas was laid out by the base of one of the trees chewing contentedly on a small branch he had pulled from the mulch pile. 

"Mrs. Bartlet." Ron greeted her from his place at the end of the porch rail. He was holding the New York Times, but no doubt had at least one eye on Jed. The ten foot rule was still in effect. Ron remained the primary agent during Jed's waking hours. He knew things would get a little more challenging as Jed started going off to Dartmouth and traveling to rally support for his foundation. 

Abbey nodded to Ron, heading down the steps toward her husband. She kicked off her loafers enjoying the feel of the spring grass on her bare feet. Reaching out Abbey pushed lightly on one of the oak spreaders making Jed swing just enough to catch him off balance. 

"Hey... " He grabbed the sides of the hammock steadying himself in the middle. Looking up he could see the playful expression on Abbey's face. "Will you walk into my parlour? said the Spider to the Fly." He grinned that boyish grin she remembered seeing at Notre Dame so many years ago. 

"Are you quoting poetry sir Spider? How alluring you are. Is it safe in there?" She titled the hammock testing the limits before it might tip upside down. 

"Sure, it's safe." He wiggled his eyebrows which guaranteed certain disaster was ahead. "There's plenty of room in my web. Hop in." 

Abbey sat on the edge while Jed clung on for his life. She laughed loudly leaning back into him and swinging her legs up beside his. Jed kept one arm out letting Abbey fall into his shoulder pulling her in tight against him. They shifted their hips getting settled in the middle of the hammock which sagged gracefully under their combined weight. Abbey wrapped one arm around Jed's middle resting her head on his chest. 

"I think we're in for the day Jed. We may need Ron to pull us out of here." Abbey pitched the book overboard onto the lawn. Jed glasses were dropped carefully on top of it. 

***** ***** ***** 

Ron pressed a finger against the earpiece in his left ear. He smiled and spoke into his cuff, "It's OK Pete, she's around back... ..I have Top Dog and FeistyDoc right here together... They're testing the pull of gravity & the center of balance for two bodies experiencing a close encounter while suspended between two stationary uprights ... .. The President and First Lady are in the hammock, Pete.....No need. I have my eye on both. I'm fairly sure, they aren't going anywhere soon. Oh, I'm guessing an hour at least." 

Ron moved to one of the rockers which afforded him a decent view of his charges, folding back the sports page so he read the box scores. 

***** ***** ***** 

Jed held Abbey's chin kissing her lightly. They smiled with their eyes enjoying the sensation of floating in midair. He teased her lips with the tip of his tongue asking for more. 

"Jed... .you do remember that Ron is sitting on the porch watching our every move?" She stroked the front of his shirt, toying with the patch of hair showing at the open collar of his madras shirt. 

"You taste so good to me." His hand brushed up against her cheek. "This is nice. Why didn't we think of this hammock idea sooner." 

"Probably because you never had time to lay in one until today." Abbey shook her head letting Jed know the ridiculous nature of his question. "How's your lecture coming for Dartmouth?" 

"Good... done. Deeana has it now. She's going to check it over for me and type it up. I'll let you read it before I go. I thought I'd drive up Tuesday night rather than leaving early Wednesday. I'm going to meet privately with the faculty of the Dickey Sloan Center first thing in the morning to give them some background info they can use in discussions with their students afterwards." He shut his eyes momentarily as Abbey lips found his Adam's apple. She nibbled her way down to the hollow spot below it. 

"I was thinking you might want to leave Thomas home with me. I'm not sure Hanover is ready for the likes of your new sidekick. He might be happier too." 

"Thomas will like that. I think he has a crush on you... should I be jealous?" Jed slowly started to shift his body turning his back to the porch and the watchful gaze of the man in the rocking chair. 

"Thomas is rather dark and mysterious, but it's clearly a case of 'puppy love'. I go for the more mature men." Abbey cuddled into the shelter of his body. 

"And a good thing too." Jed covered her mouth insistently with his. This time he got the response he was hoping for. His tongue probed deeply into Abbey's mouth as his left hand slid down into the back of her jeans cupping her rear, pulling her hips tight against his. 

Ron scanned the National section of the paper searching for any news that might affect his job. There on the third page was an announcement concerning the Bartlet lecture at Dartmouth. 

_Hanover, NH Sunday April 23,'06_

>   
>  Former President Bartlet will address a select group  
>  of seniors and faculty at Dartmouth College's Dickey  
>  Sloan Center for International Understanding on Wednesday,  
>  April 26th at 10:00 AM. The reported subject for his first  
>  public speech since leaving office will be entitled
> 
> "Why Is A Kundunese Life Worth Less?" 
> 
> This in clear reference to his policy altering decision to send US troops on a peacekeeping mission to Kundu, an African nation torn apart by alleged acts of genocide. The possibility exists for protesters near the lecture hall, opposing US foreign policy, though polls show the people of New Hampshire and Hanover in particular favor President Bartlett's decision to become involved in that conflict .

The vibration of the cell phone in his pocket jolted Ron's attention away from the paper. Looking at the caller-ID he could see it was Deeana. 

"Ron Butterfield, here... ... ...Hi Deeana what can I do for you?... ..Well, how important is it?... .The President is occupied at the moment... ...Actually he's spending some quality time with Mrs. Bartlet right now." 

Ron looked over toward the hammock. Aside from Abbey's bare feet mingled with the President's white sock clad feet Ron couldn't see her at all. Jed had effectively blocked Ron's view of his wife entirely by turning his broad back and enveloping her in his arms. 

Thomas was bored with his branch and doing as most puppies do was now searching for a more interesting diversion. The sounds coming from the hammock were very enticing... low moans blended with some giggling. Were they in pain? Was Jed hurting Abbey in some way? Did she need to be rescued from his clutches? Thomas crawled on his belly, maneuvering himself under the hammock. It swayed slightly with the movement of it's occupants. There was a certain amount of squirming or rubbing going on above him. Thomas tilted his head to one side listening for sounds of distress. 

"God, Jed... ...Mmmm." 

That Did It... ... 

"Shit, wait Abbey. Wait. Stop." 

"What?.... What?" 

"Thomas!... crap. That half-grown doglet has just bitten me in the ass." 

Not only had Thomas effectively stopped Jed from his devious activity, but look there was a bit of madras shirt tail dangling through the netting. What serendipity... ...Latching on with all his half-grown doglet might, Thomas pulled it with determined gusto. 

"Hold on Deeana, I think the President may be available to talk to you in just a second." With full blown amusement Ron watched as Thomas dug in with all four paws pulling back inch by inch. Should he consider this an attack on the Principle? Or was it just a case of "a family that plays together stays together?" 

Abbey somehow managed to yank the slobber soaked shirt tail back from the grasp of their canine attacker just in time to prevent the indignity of being capsized. The howling laughter that ensued spread to the President as well as Thomas who danced around the hammock full of pride at his achieved victory. 

Ron strode off the porch with the cell phone, "Mr. President, Deeana wants to speak to you. There's some question about your cryptic handwriting and she has an e-mail message for you from a Mr. R. Estevez." 


	13. Top Dog 13

**Top Dog**

**by:** Netcord

**Character(s):** Jed, Abbey, Leo, Charlie, Zoey  
**Pairing(s):** Jed/Abbey  
**Category(s):** Humor/Romance  
**Rating:** ADULT  
**Disclaimer:** Jed & Abbey were created by Aaron Sorkin. Thomas belongs to me.  
**Summary:** Jed and Abbey move forward into their new life back in Hew Hampshire. Life is never dull at the Bartlet Farm. Hail, hail... the gang's mostly all here!!  
**Author's Note:** The is a sequel to my previous story "It's A Dog's Life". For the sake of continuity you might want to read that first. In appreciation: I need to thank Mayhem who has been a huge help with this story all along the way. She has been a true sounding board, test reader, spell checker & over all encouraging friend. 

* * *

**Pt.13**

***** ***** ***** 

"Sir we need to go over this together. I've made a few changes I'd like to explain." 

Jed jumped up from his desk, coming around to meet Deeana in the middle of the room. "Come with me young lady. The bulldozer is arriving any minute. I don't want to miss it." He caught her by the elbow spinning her back toward the hall. Jed led his assistant through the kitchen, opening the back door, holding it for Deeana to go out before him. Jed nodded to the agent standing near the steps. 

With the President's finished lecture in hand she waited for him to move up beside her at the porch railing. "Mr. President you leave tomorrow. We really need to do this today." 

"And we will, but first ... the bulldozer. I love to watch while things are being built from scratch. Like on _Sesame Street_ when they take everyone on those tours through the factories. Did you ever see the one where they went to the Crayola Crayon factory? I loved that.....all the colors being melted and squeezed through those little tubes." Right on cue the sound of a large bulldozer could be heard approaching 803 Church St. "This will be the best driveway in Manchester, Deeana. First rate." 

"Sir you watch _Sesame Street_?" She could barely visualize this possibility. 

"Deeana... .I was once a desperate young father who occasionally babysat for his three young daughters. Those _Sesame Street_ factories tours saved my life on many an occasion." 

They watched as the driver steered around the side of the house clearing a path for the paver who would follow in a few days. The bulldozer pushed several layers of earth before it, creating a level surface which would then be spread with a foundation of large stone, rolled and prepped for the paving machine to lay down several inches of smooth black top. Jed waved to the driver pointing toward the space between the trees. The bulldozer driver, giving a thumbs up, nimbly swung right moving between the trees without so much as a ding to the bark. 

"Where is he going? That wasn't the plan sir." Deeana looked questioningly at the President who was smiling with satisfaction. 

"He's got it right... the cars can fit neatly under the trees when we're using the court." He kept watching the dozer waiting for her to ask the right question. 

"The court? What court?" 

"So glad you asked." Jed looked up at his tall athletic assistant. "I didn't want our cars to be in the way so I asked him to pave some spaces in the shade under the trees." Without so much as a sideways glance Jed continued," It seemed an awful waste of good space so I ordered a half court put in. Thought I could brush up on some of my moves." 

"You're building a basketball court here?" Deeana's eyes got wild with excitement. 

"Yes, well a half court anyway ... ..and the security lights will be installed next week. Ron says they will be low intensity, but should do the trick for any night action. What do you say? Ready to take on an old graying ex-President?" 

"Yes, I am sir." With appreciative exuberance Deeana grabbed her President and planted a kiss to his cheek. "Thank you so much. This will be so great. I've been going to the YMCA, but it's often closed by the time I leave at night." 

"My pleasure... now what were you saying about the lecture?" 

"Well, I conferred with Toby Zeigler and... ...." 

"Oh God,... ..you didn't." 

"Yes sir. He was quite anxious about your first speech since leaving the White House. He's been calling me once a day for the past week waiting for your final draft." 

"MY final draft... .now it's HIS final draft." 

"I wouldn't look at it that way Mr. President. He just polished it a little. He says the cadence has to be just right for you to really nail it big." Deeana passed the draft off to her boss. "It's going to be a very strong speech sir. I think they will all know you are speaking from the heart." 

"Ok, let me take a look and we can make any final changes after lunch." Jed headed back into his office leaving Deeana searching through the refrigerator. 

***** ***** ***** 

The agent from the porch came in for his lunch break. Being his first day in Manchester Deeana hadn't caught his name yet. He took his bag lunch and sat across from her at the table. 

"Are you Pete's replacement?" Deeana inquired as she picked the tomatoes out of her salad. 

"Actually I'm just here temporarily while Pete is on leave. His wife just gave birth to their first child. A boy I think. My name is Andrew." Andrew spread out his food on top of a napkin, unscrewing the cap from a Snapple ice tea. 

"Nice to meet you, I'm Deeana Young." She nodded pleasantly. 

"Yeah, I know. You've got yourself quite a prize position here." He opened the foil wrap revealing a diagonally sliced roast beef sandwich on whole wheat. 

"It's a wonderful opportunity for me. The President is very encouraging." 

"I guess it doesn't hurt that your older brother is about to become part of his family. I don't know exactly how you people managed to get so close to the man. You must be incredibly smooth." 

Deeana fixed him with a steady gaze, not liking the way this conversation was starting to lean. "I'm trying to do a job here. My brother is no concern of yours." 

"You're doing a job alright... ..I saw the way you handled the President. Between unwanted advice on his writing, sass and even a kiss, I'd say you have things all well in hand." Being very smug Andrew took a big bite out of his sandwich chewing with a sort of half grin on his face. 

"I'm not sure what you mean, but I don't think I need to explain myself to you, Andrew." Just at that moment Deeana caught sight of the President standing in the kitchen doorway, Toby's draft and his glasses dangling from one hand. The look in his eyes was something she had never seen before. It caused a chill to pass through her entire body. 

"Deeana you absolutely don't have to explain yourself to anyone in this room." He signaled for her to keep her seat, pointing an index finger at the agent. "You,.....gather your food and follow me." Jed led the agent, who was now clutching his lunch to his chest, out onto the back porch, letting the door shut with a thunderous bang. Andrew was so close behind the President he almost bumped into him when Jed suddenly turned to confront this intruder to his space. 

"Exactly what right do you have to speak to my assistant in that manner?" 

"Sir, I was merely observing that Deeana... ..." 

"That's Miss Young to you, agent. Who are you anyway?" 

"I'm Andrew Coleman, sir. I'm covering for Pete temporarily." 

"Temporarily being the key word here." Jed thrust his finger into the agent's chest. "Agent Coleman you should know that Deeana Young is one hell of an assistant. I have been blessed with being advised and assisted by a long line of wonderful people over the years. She may be fresh out of college, but that young lady is full of wisdom, political knowledge, technical knowhow, personality and yes.....sass. All qualities that I consider extremely valuable." 

The color of Jed eyes had changed from crystal blue to cobalt as his voice rose. He was definitely revving up for a major rant. 

"It is extremely refreshing when people find it within themselves to treat me like a 'real person' and not some figurehead they are afraid of. Deeana has displayed nothing, but respect for me and my position. I gladly accept any amount of 'sass' she can dish out as a sign of friendship and care for my well being. And the fact that her brother will soon become my son-in-law has in no way influenced her working for me here. I choose to hire the best and the brightest. She most definitely qualifies." 

Jed's voice had reached 'sonic boom' level by this time. Agent Coleman dared not blink or move. The President had become fairly red in the face. His bangs had become dislodged adding further to his threatening glare. 

"I hope you have enjoyed your visit to Manchester Agent Coleman. This is your first and last day on my detail. Ron Butterfield will be packing you off on the first plane in the morning, to DC or where ever you came from. It's my understanding that agents attempt to blend in with their surroundings and that they rarely every speak unless spoken to. I suggest that you act accordingly. You can finish your lunch out here on the porch. I don't expect to see you inside again." 

Jed brushed past the stunned agent on his way to the door. Andrew peered around as Jed entered the kitchen seeing Deeana watching him through the open door. Their eyes met for just a brief moment before Jed shut it with a deafening slam. 

Deeana stood when Jed approached her. His face immediately went soft. He smiled warmly and his eyes conveyed a level of concern. 

"Sir, I... ." Deeana thought she owed him some sort of explanation. 

Holding up his hand Jed stopped her. "Agent Coleman has decided to finish his lunch on the porch. He will be leaving us in the morning. I will not tolerate that level of rudeness or stupidity. Deeana, you work for me. No one has the right to come into my office and suggest that you don't belong here or tell you how to do your job." Jed placed the final draft for his lecture on the table tapping it with his finger. "I think this is just right. When you're done eating maybe you could listen while I give it a run through." 

Grateful relief shown from her dark brown eyes. Deeana nodded taking up the draft, "It would be my pleasure sir." 

Jed snatched a discarded tomato off her plate popping it into his mouth. "Oh and just so you know... I get Ron and Curtis on my team when the court is paved. You can draft your own team. No 'ringers' from the YMCA." He gestured at her salad. "Eat all your vegetables." 

***** ***** ***** 

Thomas backed up never taking his eye off the tennis ball in Jed's hand. 

"Ready... .are you ready?" Jed waved the ball in his hand signaling that the toss was imminent. 

Thomas coiled like a quivering spring. The moment the ball left Jed's hand he was in flight... catching it in midair. 

Sitting side by side on the top porch step Abbey and Jed were enjoying the coolness of the evening air. Jed had been fairly quiet since returning from his day of Dartmouth prep with Deeana. Often he became more thoughtful and reserved right before a public speaking engagement. Abbey knew he was psyching himself up internally. He rehearsed in his head trying out various answers to questions he might be asked by the students. The key difference now being that he was on his own for the most part... no Leo, Toby or CJ to run a ten minute drill. 

Thomas barked, dancing around impatiently in front of Jed. The ball was in his hand, but Jed was in another world, totally unaware he was holding up the game. 

"Jed, what is it? Is it Dartmouth? Are you ready?" 

"I fired an agent today. A new guy, Coleman. Agent Coleman was filling in for Pete while he is with his wife. They had a baby boy yesterday." Jed chucked the ball down the lawn watching Thomas rush after it. 

"Did he piss you off Jed? What happened?" Abbey turned putting a soothing hand on his shoulder. 

"Agent Coleman took it upon himself to speculate on how Deeana got her job in my office. He wondered how 'people like' Charlie and her became so close to the man." His eyes started to flash just with the thought of his lunchtime encounter. "Coleman was a son of bitch who totally lacked any social skills. I told Ron I had no time for that sort of ignorant behavior." 

"Well it sounds like you handled it right for you and Deeana." 

"She helped me do a run through, then quizzed me like a college senior would. That girl is very bright. Very on top of things. I'm so lucky to have her working for me." 

"Yes you are." Abbey squeezed the back of his neck. "Are you nervous about the speech?" 

"Yeah, a little." 

"What can I do for you, Babe." 

"I'd like to go in, get naked, and just lay down with you, Abbey. I need to get some real sleep tonight. I think it would help just to be close. Would that be okay with you?" 

"Yes, that would be very okay with me. Game's over Thomas. Let's go in boy." Standing Abbey held out her hand to Jed, who took it gladly following her into the house. 


	14. Top Dog 14

**Top Dog**

**by:** Netcord

**Character(s):** Jed, Abbey, Leo, Charlie, Zoey  
**Pairing(s):** Jed/Abbey  
**Category(s):** Humor/Romance  
**Rating:** ADULT  
**Disclaimer:** Jed & Abbey were created by Aaron Sorkin. Thomas belongs to me.  
**Summary:** Jed and Abbey move forward into their new life back in Hew Hampshire. Life is never dull at the Bartlet Farm. Hail, hail... the gang's mostly all here!!  
**Author's Note:** The is a sequel to my previous story "It's A Dog's Life". For the sake of continuity you might want to read that first. In appreciation: I need to thank Mayhem who has been a huge help with this story all along the way. She has been a true sounding board, test reader, spell checker & over all encouraging friend. 

* * *

**Pt.14**

***** ***** ***** 

Jed gave Thomas a playful pat under the chin. "Now behave for Deeana. Abbey will be here to get you after lunch." 

Ron held the door open for Deeana and Jed as they shared last minute information on the way to the car. 

"Sir, here are a few messages that came in over night for you. I printed your speech and put it in the folder in your briefcase. I also sent a copy ahead to the Professor in charge of your appearance tomorrow. Don't worry about a thing. Thomas and I will hold down the fort here. Curtis will meet you in Hanover. He will staff you during your visit so if you have any concerns let him know." Deeana opened the Suburban's door passing off the briefcase as Jed climbed in. 

Jed flashed her a thumbs up as Coop stepped on the gas. Settling back in his seat he sifted through the messages Deeana handed him. They were e-mails she had printed for him to read during his ride up to Dartmouth. 

Subject: Visit to Hanover  
Date: April,25, 2006 8:25 AM EST  
From: BigPsych@earthlink.net   
To: J.Bartlet@F&GW.org

_Sir, lunch is at Lou's on So. Main St. at your request. They_  
said your favorite would be ready and waiting at 1:00. The   
Dowd's Country Inn is all set for tonight. Tami Dowd says   
to plan on dinner with her family and not to let some Dartmouth   
big shot promise you a better meal than she can cook.  
Deeana has passed your schedule on to me. I look forward   
to staffing you during this time and will be at your disposal.   


Curtis C. 

Good man, Jed thought to himself. Lou's chicken piccata was the best. The Dowd Inn would afford him some quiet time to get his head together. He folded the note stuffing it into his jacket pocket. The next note read- 

Subject: Your Final Draft  
Date: April 25, 2006 5:12 AM EST  
From:  PieRules@hotmail.com   
To: J.Bartlet@F&GW.org 

_Hey old man, as you go off on your own for your first big outing, you should know we are all standing with you. Deliver it with conviction. Look them directly in the eye. It's the right speech for you to be giving. It's the right place to give it. Stand tall and wait for the applause._

The better angels are on your side, Toby 

***** ***** ***** 

Deeana bent over her desk reading through various reports on charities that had been arriving in the office since the President had announced the establishment of his Foundation. Thomas had decided to go into Jed's office to nap on his Bean bed until Abbey came for him. The front door opened slowly as Deeana stood to return a folder to the file cabinet behind her. 

"Excuse me... ..is this President Bartlett's office?" 

Looking up she found an attractively stocky older man, in jeans and a blue open collared sweater with his hands in his pockets, standing in the middle of the reception room. His face had a worldly appearance with a natural tan that gave him a healthy look of someone who spent a fair amount of time outdoors. His crystal blue eyes were accented by crows feet which further added to his genuine unaltered good looks. He was mostly gray with bushy white sideburns. There was something strangely familiar about this man. Had she met him before? Gaining her attention the man stepped forward extending his hand. "Hi, I'm Ramon Estevez." 

Grasping his large meaty hand Deeana couldn't help feel the warmth emanating from his friendly gentle face. "Mr. Estevez. How nice to meet you. I wasn't expecting you until Friday." 

"I know. I apologize, but my schedule kept shifting. I have to be in Boston late tomorrow afternoon. I thought I'd take a chance on catching up with the President sooner." His hands went back into his pockets. He glanced around noticing how quiet the office was. 

"I'm sorry, sir, but the President left for Hanover just a little while ago. He's giving a lecture there tomorrow morning." 

"Please.... call me Ramon." 

A flash of black fur came bounding down the hall. Ramon squared himself to receive the blow of excited doggie enthusiasm. "My,my,my... ..you must be the famous Thomas I have been hearing about." He knelt down to find himself eye to eye with Thomas, who was surprised that this strange man knew his name. "There now, what a handsome lad you are." 

"Oh my gosh.....Thomas behave." Deeana rushed around her desk to rescue Ramon from further assault, but was stopped when he held up a hand signaling that all was well. 

Ramon began gently stroking the puppy on the chest and ears. The effect was amazing. Thomas sat quietly allowing this complete stranger to touch him without protest or fear. They seemed to have an instant connection. "There you go buddy, what a good boy you are." To this Thomas flopped over on the floor asking for a belly rub. 

"Well, I guess one member of the family is willing to consort with rebel activists." Deeana smiled at her thought. 

"Excuse me... .I didn't hear you." Ramon smiled back at her. 

"I said, you have managed to win over the real rebel in this family. I think Thomas is under your spell. Can I offer you something to drink? Mrs. Bartlet should be here any minute. I can assure you she will be most pleased to meet with you in the President's absence" 

***** ***** ***** 

Abbey placed some fresh flowers on the kitchen table. This was going to be an interesting brunch. She loved her 'California boys', but nothing prepared her for meeting their father. Coming in the back door at Jed's office the day before she had heard laughter in the front room. Passing through the hall Abbey caught a glimpse of a man sitting on the floor with Thomas drooped across his lap. He was stroking the puppy, laughing deep and full while Deeana recounted some anecdotes from Thomas' short, but colorful beginnings as a Bartlet. 

Upon seeing Abbey approaching he carefully pushed the puppy off onto the carpet standing to brush off his well worn jeans. Deeana explained that Mr. Estevez had arrived unexpectedly and was disappointed at missing the President by a few hours. He shook her hand with much enthusiasm asking her to call him 'Ramon'. Abbey sensed this was not a shy man though he seemed to hold himself in check out of respect for their first meeting. The pride he expressed in his boys, who he rarely got to see anymore, led to her inviting him for brunch in order that he be able to see the spectacular bathroom they had built at the Bartlet farm. And of course he was interested in the job his wife had done on the guest house. (Abbey refrained from mentioning the guest house had been nicknamed the 'Love Shack' or 'Animal House'.) Ramon had accepted her invitation immediately exclaiming that he never turned down an invitation for a meal, especially from a woman who had been so kind to his family. 

The table was set, coffee was brewing and the raisins on the cinnamon buns looked very tempting. Abbey watched while Ramon pulled his son's pick-up truck into the circle in front of the porch. She waved a greeting to her guest who had cleaned up considerably since the day before. He now wore neatly pressed khakis and a bright blue print Hawaiian shirt. It appeared he had been to the local barber for a trim which made it more difficult to keep his bangs combed back, but Abbey doubted that was much of a concern for Ramon. His life style did not dictate his appearance which was one she'd describe as 'neat & comfortable'. 

"Good morning" Came the return greeting. Ramon mounted the stairs offering his hand once more. "I don't know whether to call you Mrs. or Dr. Bartlet." 

"Then I guess we should just go with Abbey." She stood aside inviting him in. He carried a package which he set on the entrance table, turning expectantly for her directive. 

"Before we eat would you like to see the work Carlos and Ramon did for us?" Without waiting for a reply Abbey headed for the stairs. "Come on, this is the best bathroom you'll ever see." Abbey told him how the boys had met all her expectations and more. They had been sensitive to the needs of their President and done it all in a friendly professional way meeting their deadline right on the nose. 

Ramon stood in the doorway. His eyes grew wide. Then he whistled to express how impressed he was with the beautiful remodeled bathroom before him. "My, my.....this is quite some bathroom. They were on the phone to Janet quite a lot. I can see her influence in the colors and tile work." 

Abbey smiled at the pleasure she saw in his eyes. It was not often a father gets to see the work of his grown children or to hear the praise and appreciation felt by the recipient of that work. Ramon stuck his head into the shower whistling again upon seeing all the shower heads in the wall. He continued back into the room leaning on the rim of the 6' tub. 

"Wow, you could really have a time for yourself in a tub this size." He turned seeing a slight blush in Abbey's cheeks. "I meant no disrespect. I would imagine finding time to relax and get away from the pressure of the presidency is very difficult." He smiled knowingly, hoping she understood he was not judging her in any way. 

Ramon stood with his hip against the counter while Abbey flipped two omelets in a pan on the stove. He approved when she added bacon bits, diced tomatoes and grated cheese. They came to sit across from each other having been joined by Thomas who was more than pleased to be reunited with his new friend. Of course the smell of food was a big attraction as well. Abbey sent him to sit on his bed at a polite distance. 

As Abbey reached for her fork she realized Ramon was saying a silent blessing. He crossed himself before grabbing his fork and diving into the steaming omelet. She offered him a cinnamon bun which he stabbed in the middle and set on the edge of his plate. 

"This is a real treat for me, Abbey. I'm so sorry to have missed the President, but you have been very gracious in inviting me to your home. If I didn't need to catch my ride down to Boston in a few hours I'd stay with the boys so I could meet with your husband after he returns from Hanover." Ramon cut a large hunk off the bun chewing it with a look of happiness on his broad face. "I understand the President plans on speaking about Kundu... the situation there was very grave. He absolutely did the right thing in sending troops to stop the killing." 

"I'm sure Jed appreciates your support." She was feeling a strange familiarity to this man across the table. Watching while he shoveled the food in with gusto, he seemed like such an empathetic soul. Ramon resting his left elbow on the table leaning over his plate. There was no chance of any crumbs going astray. 

"I was thinking Abbey, that the President and I have a lot in common. We are both concerned with the plight of the disenfranchised. They come in many colors, many cultures and live many many places both near and far." Ramon paused for a moment brushing his fingers up through his hair. His bangs sprang back over his forehand as soon as he lowered his hand. "I'm going to Boston to participate in discussions with the INS agents in Massachusetts concerning the large Brazilian population on Martha's Vineyard. Did you know , Abbey , that the number of Brazilians on the Vineyard has grown since the mid 80's to approximately 2,500 immigrants which it 10% of the year round population on that island?" 

"I had no idea. How many of those are illegals?" 

"No one knows for sure. There is the usual friction between the longtime islanders and all the newcomers, but the Brazilians are hard workers who fill many jobs necessary for the health of the island economy. Language is a key drawback. The immigrants need more money for English classes and legal help so they're not at the mercy of lawyers who are out to make a buck when trying to obtain work visas or other legal identification." 

"Do you speak Portuguese Ramon?" 

"Unfortunately, no. I speak Spanish, which I learned from my father as a kid. And I know some Latin, which I learned through my upbringing in the Catholic Church. But there are ways of overcoming a language barrier. People have a phenomenal capacity to overcome obstacles when working toward a common cause." 

Abbey looked deeply into the warm blue eyes across the table. This man was incredibly earnest. There was a spirituality about him that was not unlike Jed's. Ramon and Jed were both ultimately working toward the same end. They were coming at it from different directions, from different backgrounds, each using the abilities, tools, and means available to them. Ramon was not the undisciplined uninformed activist she had been led to believe. This man having brunch at her table was a sincerely caring citizen who was trying to make life better for those in need. 

Before Ramon had to leave Abbey gave him a quick tour of the guest house. He walked slowly around looking at all the photographs. He sat on the couch spreading out his arms, patting the soft cushions. Janet was right. This couch is "Para amantes." He chuckled to himself, following Abbey back toward the farmhouse. 

Returning through the front hall on his way out Ramon took up the package from the table handing it to Abbey. "I wish you and your husband peace and happiness now that you have more time for each other. The shirt is for those lazy Sundays when he can relax with his new buddy. The other item is to ensure continued health and safety as you both go forward with your good works." He nodded his head thanking her once more for the lovely meal, then turned climbing back into the pickup truck. 

Abbey stood on the porch steps opening the package. Inside she found a flashy Hawaiian shirt. It was a tasteful blend of red, white and blue swirling together like ocean waves curling over each other with the form of doves flying up from the foamy crests. In the shirt's breast pocket was a beautiful rosary. It was fashioned from a strand of hand made wooden beads linked together by a gold chain. Included in the strand was a medallion bearing the likeness of Saint Benedict. At the end hung a splendid crucifix. A short hand written note said- 

> _God bless this house and all those who dwell there in._

Looking up Abbey saw the pickup with the California plates rolling down the driveway. A large tanned hand signaled a peace sign out the window as it passed by the guard house at the gate. 


	15. Top Dog 15

**Top Dog**

**by:** Netcord

**Character(s):** Jed, Abbey, Leo, Charlie, Zoey  
**Pairing(s):** Jed/Abbey  
**Category(s):** Humor/Romance  
**Rating:** ADULT  
**Disclaimer:** Jed & Abbey were created by Aaron Sorkin. Thomas belongs to me.  
**Summary:** Jed and Abbey move forward into their new life back in Hew Hampshire. Life is never dull at the Bartlet Farm. Hail, hail... the gang's mostly all here!!  
**Author's Note:** The is a sequel to my previous story "It's A Dog's Life". For the sake of continuity you might want to read that first. In appreciation: I need to thank Mayhem who has been a huge help with this story all along the way. She has been a true sounding board, test reader, spell checker & over all encouraging friend. 

* * *

**Pt. 15**

***** ***** ***** 

Jed slid into his seat with Curtis and Ron right behind him. He laughed loudly buckling his seatbelt tight. "Coop, let's make our get-away before the next assault." 

Looking out the rear window of the Suburban Jed could see the Dartmouth campus security circling a small crowd of protesters who apparently weren't wild about the Bartlet administration's foreign policy initiatives. 

"Sir, are you alright?" Ron was frowning. He scrutinized his President for any sign of distress. 

Jed waved Ron off... "Yeah, I'm fine. That was very exciting. I thought I was rather spry. When Coop said 'move' I moved... ..sorry about that pie Curtis. Do we have a towel on board?" 

"I heard someone yell duck and I would have too if Ron hadn't sideswiped me on his way to shield you sir." Curtis used several fingers to wipe creamy yellow custard from his right eye. "It's a lot easier to duck when you're 5'7" than when your 6'2" Mr. President." 

"Yeah, I guess so." Jed passed Curtis the handkerchief from his pocket. "What is that, lemon meringue?" 

Curtis licked his lips. "No, I think it's banana cream." 

***** ***** ***** 

Abbey checked the clock... ....2:35 PM... ..knowing Jed would be done with a post lecture luncheon and on his way back to Manchester she wandered into his study to use the phone at his desk. She loved the feel of his large padded executive desk chair. He had the arms adjusted just the way he liked them. It swiveled & rocked back for easy maneuvering. The high back was great for leaning back to put his feet up on the corner of the desk, never mind the scratches in the wood from the heels of his shoes. His laptop sat quietly waiting for Top Dog's return. Three of his smaller glass balls had made their way to his desk at home. He liked to fiddle with them while talked to Leo on the phone. His note pad had doodles all over it... ..they looked like puppy bottoms with wagging tails and paw prints. 

He preferred to keep his desktop uncluttered, but there were two great framed photos. One was of the family on vacation at the Grand Canyon in Arizona, June 1989. That had been a 'doozy' of a trip. Jed had suffered a severe case of vertigo half way down the canyon trail causing a halt to the long line of tourists on horseback. He ended up dismounting to hike down to the bottom where a tour helicopter retrieved him from the river bed several hours later. 

The second photo was from their anniversary weekend to Martha's Vineyard. Jed had rented a small cottage up island in Menemsha. It was one of his most romantic gestures ever. The girls had been sent to stay with her parents so she and Jed could have some real quality time together. There had been a view of Menemsha Pond with the bike ferry running people back and forth across the inlet. It had become a weekend full of seafood & loving. 

The lobster served at the Home Port Restaurant was tender and succulent. Jed had butter dripping from his chin most of the evening. Thank God for the bibs and towelets. Jed pulled the claws apart extracting the lobster meat in one large hunk. He never bothered to use the tiny forks or even the hammer. Holding the slippery lobster meat carefully Jed dunked it into the cup of melted butter before dropping it into his mouth. He tore the lobster tail from the body. After slitting the underside down the middle with his knife Jed grasped it with both hands so as to invert the tail popping the tail meat out of the opening. Smiling at his own dexterity Jed pulled the meat into eatable pieces. The blueberry pie was fresh and warm with a heaping scoop of vanilla ice cream on the side. Abbey enjoyed watching Jed eat with such pleasure. It somehow conjured up thoughts of the final meal for a condemned man. 

Standing on top of the Gay Head cliffs waiting for the sunset had been glorious. Jed was full of information from the tour of the Gay Head Lighthouse... ...built in 1844, with an original Frensel lens containing 1,009 prisms, which had been shown at the Paris World's Fair. He wrapped his arms around her to keep away the early evening chill. Abbey grasped the top railing gazing out over the sound at the western most point of the Vineyard. Smiling Jed leaned in to kiss her cheek at the moment the photo was made. It was in fact a moment frozen in time by a kind bystander who was obviously a romantic... ...a copy had been mailed to them the following week. It was a picture of two lovers standing in the glow of a beautiful sunset next to a historic lighthouse at the edge of the sea. 

Abbey lifted the photo from Jed's desk. She could so clearly remember how it felt to be standing there in Jed's arms. Her green eyes shown with the reflection of the fading light. Abbey had turned in the next moment to kiss him leading to their hasty retreat back to the privacy of the cottage by Menemsha Pond. Boy, what an anniversary that had been. It hardly mattered that the bed was too narrow or that the mattress was well worn. They had been lost in the thick haze of their love for each other... ... ..... 

The sudden ringing of the phone startled Abbey from her memories. She set the photo back in it's place snatching up the receiver. 

"Hey Sweet thing... .we're on our way back from the trenches." The cheerful sound in his voice let her know the speech had gone well. 

"Trenches? How did it go Babe?" Abbey moved the chair in closer to the desk picking up one of the glass balls, rolling it in her hand as she spoke. 

"It was invigorating, Abbey. They stood and applauded. The protesters mobilized as we left the luncheon. Curtis took one for the team." He laughed again. "It was great like being back on campus in the early 70's." 

"Jed, is Curtis alright ?" A doctor's tone crept into her voice. 

"Sure, he's fine... ..he wears banana cream well." She could hear him shifting in his seat to speak more privately. "It went well, Abbey. I looked them in the eye and told them the time had come for Americans to have the balls to stand up for what is right. God wept while we sat around in our hammocks watching the clouds float by." 

"You didn't exactly say that." 

"No.... Toby said 'It was time to stop the endless debate of semantics and call the slaughter of innocent people what it really was.....genocide. A pledge had been made after WWII to never again allow the weak to be murdered by the strong... might most certainly does not make right.'" He paused to gather his thoughts. "So it went well. I've dipped my toe in the waters and Dartmouth still wants me back. I guess that's a positive sign." 

"I'm proud of you Babe. Listen, I had an interesting visitor while you were there." 

"Oh ?... ." Jed switched the phone to his other ear as he lay his head back against the seat. 

"A very attractive Catholic activist came for brunch this morning." She waited a beat for his understanding. 

"Estevez?" Jed tried to picture that tanned ass Californian alone in his house with Abbey. 

"Yep. He was hoping to catch up with you, but settled for me instead." 

"I bet he did. What's his story?" 

"Jed, the man was completely charming. He is very dedicated and sincere about the things he chooses to care about. And he cares about quite a lot I'd say." Spinning the chair around once she added, "You know Jed, you and Ramon aren't all that different. He has that gentle spiritual side which reminds me a lot of a young man I knew once." 

"Yeah, what happened to that guy?" 

"He grew up to become President with all the trappings of a successful politician." She could hear the chuckle coming through the phone. "I'm serious Jed. You became a spiritual statesman and Ramon is a religious humanitarian. Not all that different when you think about it." 

"You sound impressed." His brows drew together as he listened. 

"Jed, I think you would be too. The man is devoted to his family. He's been married to Janet for more than forty-three years. He almost wept with pride when I showed him the wonderful job his boys did for us here. And he's now off to Boston trying to intervene with the INS on behalf of the Brazilians living on Martha's Vineyard." 

"More than forty-three years? That is impressive. Well, stick with me kid and we'll pass that record. How's my buddy?" 

"Thomas is here under the desk waiting for the leader of his pack to return." 

"Okay, tell him I'll be there very soon. If Thomas can get his act together Dartmouth looks forward to him joining me on my next visit in the fall." 

"Babe, just to finish.....I believe it would be a good idea for you to seriously consider some sort of collaborative effort with Ramon. Oh, and Dr. Macky's office sent a postcard. Thomas will be due for a rabies vaccine very soon and Dr. Macky wants you to get in that mental place where you can bring Thomas in to be neutered by the end of May." Abbey held the phone out away from her ear. 

"What?... ..Dr. Macky wants to what... ...?" 


	16. Top Dog 16

**Top Dog**

**by:** Netcord

**Character(s):** Jed, Abbey, Leo, Charlie, Zoey  
**Pairing(s):** Jed/Abbey  
**Category(s):** Humor/Romance  
**Rating:** ADULT  
**Disclaimer:** Jed & Abbey were created by Aaron Sorkin. Thomas belongs to me.  
**Summary:** Jed and Abbey move forward into their new life back in Hew Hampshire. Life is never dull at the Bartlet Farm. Hail, hail... the gang's mostly all here!!  
**Author's Note:** The is a sequel to my previous story "It's A Dog's Life". For the sake of continuity you might want to read that first. In appreciation: I need to thank Mayhem who has been a huge help with this story all along the way. She has been a true sounding board, test reader, spell checker & over all encouraging friend. 

* * *

Pt.16 ***** ***** ***** 

She arched her back as he brought his lips to her left breast. His hands splayed over her shoulder blades pressing firmly as his tongue circled her nipple. Abbey groaned running her fingers wildly through his thick morning hair. Jed's eager mouth moved from her left side to the right and then back again to the left. The swirling of his insistent tongue excited her nipples into hard peaks. The bed sheet pooled around their waists revealing already flushed naked bodies deep in the grips of love making. Abbey shifted her hips slightly settling herself on Jed's lap which she had straddled minutes before. 

She enjoyed starting on top where she was free to have her way with him... .touching his broad chest, stroking his arms, watching his face change as she rubbed her hips against his feeling his erection grow between them. Abbey used her tongue to moisten his nipples before sucking lightly. Her finger tips caressed his cheek, his shoulders and ribs. Jed heaved loudly with a deep sigh while her lips tantalized him. Her long hair fell against his skin teasing him as it trailed down from his chest over his abdomen. Her mouth finally closed around him warm and strong. 

Jed could wait only so long before the urge to respond was too much for him. Then he made his move taking charge. He sat up, pulling her back up to him. He sat up tall wrapping his arms around behind her burying his face between her ample breasts. Abbey's body was like a feast to a starving man. His hands slid to the back of her hips as he turned their bodies. Jed placed Abbey on her back underneath him never losing contact or withdrawing. Abbey held her legs high at his waist. Jed kissed her thoroughly before pushing up on his hands, thrusting in with all his weight at his hips. 

The feel of Jed moving in and above her was such a marvel. Any fears from the past had vanished for the moment. He was healthy and strong moving with a rhythm that set every nerve in her body on alert. With each thrust her "joyous pain" grew beyond her ability to withstand it. Abbey clutched at his hips pulling herself up to him just as the power of her climax drove her back into the pillows, calling his name. 

Abbey gasped for breath grabbing at the sheets around her. The sound of a heavy rain seeped into her consciousness. It was a soothing sound, a steady drumming against the glass panes of the windows. There was singing. It sounded like a male voice singing a hymn. What was that? She couldn't understand the words. 

"Jed what is that hymn? Do you hear that?" Getting no answer Abbey opened her eyes. Their bedroom was dimly light by the first beams of a rising sun squeezing in at the side of the window shades. That was strange... .it was just raining. "Jed?" 

She could still hear the rain and the singing. Abbey turned realizing she was alone in the bed. Sitting up on Jed's side she switched on the bedside lamp. The large blue pajama top she was wearing was partially buttoned and damp with sweat. Standing Abbey followed the sound of the singing. She wandered toward the bathroom, pushing the door back to find a room full of steam. The singing stopped. The water shut off. Jed slid back the glass shower door, reaching for his towel on the nearby rack. 

"Hey Sweet thing. Did I wake you? I guess I was singing a little too loudly." Jed rubbed the towel through his hair. 

"When did you get up?" Abbey's confusion was apparent. 

"About an hour ago... ...I have been down on my computer working on an address for the Notre Dame commencement on the 15th " Wrapping the towel around his waist he came to tip Abbey's chin up with his index finger, kissing her lightly on the lips. "Abbey are you alright? You look a bit flushed." 

**** ***** ***** 

May whizzed by quickly... things had definitely settled into an easy routine. Abbey seemed more relaxed than she had been in a long time. Her 25 to 30 hours a week at the Catholic Medical Center was proving to be very satisfying. Daniel Spitzer quickly discovered Abbey's value as a recruiter of new young talented doctors for the NE Heart Institute. He had sent her off for several speaking engagements. The resulting applicants to the Institute were of a very high quality. 

Jed leaned back in his office chair putting his feet up on the corner of the desk while contemplating the topic for his upcoming commencement address at his Alma Mater. They had requested he speak to the subject of "What role does religion have in politics today? " or " Has the Catholic church stayed in touch with the new generation?" Good God... ..this would be like wading through deep water to speak before the Pope. 

Tossing his glasses on the desk top Jed rubbed his eyes, dropping his feet back to the floor, spinning his chair so he could watch Thomas who was running in his sleep where he lay on the Bean bed nearby. Thomas' feet were working hard, flexing at his ankles. His cheeks puffed out occasionally with a 'faux woof'. Thomas' shiny black coat gave him a smooth sleek appearance. His body had become amazingly long. Jed could swear his legs grew an inch a day. The large paws he started out with were still looking huge. Thomas was lean, quick, and getting very strong. Dog school had been the best thing they had done together. The skills they had learned so far had not erased all those crazy puppy behaviors completely, but at least Jed was starting to feel some confidence that his "doglet' would turn out alright in the end. "Doglet"... was that a legitimate word? It perfectly described the half puppy-half dog Thomas had become. Doglet should definitely be a part of the official 'doggie vernacular' used by dog lovers everywhere. 

Jed laughed with the thought of Thomas' antics thus far... . 

"Abbey where's your left earring?" Jed held her coat up for Abbey to slip into. 

Immediately Abbey began to check for the teardrop sapphire in the collar of the coat, then the front of her low cut gown. "Oh Lord, I had it on just a second ago." Abbey snatched up the hem of her skirt kneeling down to peer under the kitchen radiator. 

Jed spun around scanning the floor, but all he saw was Thomas sitting perfectly at attention, tail wagging slightly watching them with clear bright eyes. 

Seeing a lady in distress Coop and Pete dropped to their knees despite the newly pressed tuxedos they wore. The search went on for ten long minutes. Jed retraced Abbey's footsteps all the way back up to their bedroom while the others combed every inch of the kitchen floor. Standing in the kitchen door upon his return Jed noticed that Thomas hadn't moved. He was still sitting quietly in the same spot taking in all the commotion with an uncharacteristically amused expression on his canine mug. 

"Hold it....." Jed walked over placing one big hand over the top of Thomas' muzzle. "Thomas... drop it" The furry mouth opened wide revealing the teardrop sapphire laying on his soft pink tongue unmolested except for a coating of doggie saliva. "Next time we'll look in there first." 

The earring search was topped by the toilet paper chase... .. 

"This is the best chowder I've tasted in a long time, Abbey. You made this from scratch?" Jed dunked his soup spoon in a few times pushing the oyster crackers down under the surface. 

"Yep, Pete's wife sent me the recipe. Apparently she is doing some cooking while she is home with the baby. She found this recipe in a new cookbook from her church's fund-raiser." Her head snapped up at the sound of prancing paws. "Where's Thomas?" 

"I don't know. He was napping under my desk when you called me for lunch." 

"Well, I doubt he's napping any longer, Jed. You should have brought him with you." 

The prancing paws came to the door attached to a doglet holding a half roll of toilet paper in his mouth, the tail of the paper trailing off between his legs. 

"Thomas what are you doing with that?" Jed inquired in his Presidential voice. 

Thomas grinned behind the mouthful of somewhat soggy T-paper and danced away down the hall out of sight. Jed took chase knowing full well that was the wrong tactic, but decided it was better to nip this doggie prank in the bud. Entering the hall Jed found the trail leading from the first floor lavatory out into the front entrance way, passing under and around most table legs, through the dining room, over the couch in the den and its matching easy chair, into his office, under the desk, around his desk chair multiple times where Nellie sat licking her paws with a disgusted look on her face, then over to the leather couch where Thomas sat on the center cushion, biting the roll like a squishy apple. Drooly bits of T-paper hung from his lips and snout. 

Jed pointed with his index finger. "Don't move... you're in big trouble Mr." 

Abbey gazed up from her chowder when Jed returned with Thomas by the back of the collar in one hand, a mutilated soggy T roll in the other. Thomas was sent to his crate to repent. (They both knew there was almost no chance that would happen.) 

"What possible attraction can a roll of toilet paper have?" Jed sat to finish his soup before it got cold. 

"I don't know... leaving a trail all over the house while the ex-President from New Hampshire is chasing you sounds quite appealing to me." Abbey gave Jed a flirtatious wink. "It must be his English genes... .maybe he's related to the Andrex Puppy." 

"What are you talking about? Isn't the Andrex Puppy an animated cartoon?" 

"Leo told me Thomas was of the English variety of Labrador. You know the ones with broader heads. Over in the UK. the Andrex puppy is famous for his love of loo paper. He's practically a national celebrity." 

"Perfect, I thought we won our independence years ago and now I learn my own dog comes bearing English genes and a love for loo paper." 

The loo paper chase didn't even come close the barbeque fiasco... ... 

The dogs circled the grill eyeballing the burgers and chicken breasts Jed was downloading from a platter Abbey had brought out from the kitchen. By this time the dogs and owners were fast friends having mastered most of the skills Matte had valiantly tried to impart. Graduation was two weeks away so Jed thought perhaps it would be nice to gather in an informal country setting. The dogs could play without fear of traffic while the people enjoyed his culinary skills. 

Daniel engaged Abbey in a debate over the benefits or drawbacks of having a dog sleep on your bed at night. The benefits being added warmth & companionship which might be negated by the fact that dogs tend to be bed hogs. Abbey wondered if Jed had whispered in this precocious boy's ears, pointing him in her direction. Toni and Sarah were still trying to sort out their perspective love lives. Jed had decided to steer clear of that. Matte stood near the grill trying to divert the dogs away from the greasy drip pan hanging underneath. By the time the food was perfectly grilled she had them all lined up in descending order by size waiting for a tidbit sans barbeque sauce. 

With the people seated at the picnic table to eat and all hope of further treats had been vetoed by Matte, who forbade doggy beggars near the table, Thomas thought it was time to take his new friends on a tour of the yard around the farmhouse. They trotted off in like an energized scrum. 

He began by taking a short cut under the back porch with it assortment of spiders and related six & eight legged creatures lurking in every corner. They were all adorned with cobwebs when they emerged on the side near Abbey's garden. The gate was closed which was of no consequence since the garden wall, made of hand laid stones, was only knee high. Dart, being the shortest, found no challenge there. He nimbly leapt on top, hopping down into the dahlias on the other side. Griffin and Mellow followed his lead eager for adventure. 

The fresh earth was very inviting. Thomas had been admonished on any number of occasions when he tried to assist Abbey with her spring planting. The mulch she applied smelled delicious and Abbey had even added some manure from the barn to the vegetables. It was glorious... running, rolling, digging, butt sniffing & frolicking about unsupervised. 

As dusk was approaching 'He' stuck his nose out from under his spot in the garden wall. What the hell was going on out there in HIS garden?? Good Lord all hell had broken loose... .furry doglets running hither & fro causing mayhem & havoc all over the place. This behavior had to be stopped. 

He shook off his daytime kinks from napping since dawn. He sauntered out into the middle of the grassy area of the garden and sized up the source if the disturbance. It took a few moments for the intruders to realize they had been caught in the act. But who or what had discovered their acts of wild doggie rebellion? 

All froze where they stood examining the black and white creature standing before them. Too fat to be a cat. Too slow to be a doglet. Thomas was the only one among them who had met 'Him' before. Oh so slowly Thomas backed up, never taking his eye off this 'guardian of the garden'. Had Thomas been able to shout he would have loudly exclaimed... ."RUN.....run fast & run far." Thomas did of course just that as 'He' smiled and balanced on his front paws raising his tail high in the air. The stunned audience watched in amazement until the most God awful liquid stench shot out covering all still within a six foot radius. 

Abbey stepped off the porch carrying a tray of ice cream parfaits, Jed's favorite, vanilla & butterscotch swirl. As she crossed the lawn to the group at the picnic table, Thomas rounded the corner of the house at a dead run. His tongue hung from his mouth, cobwebs from his ears, his fur had the scent of manure and was that a dahlia stuck in his teeth? He dove through all the legs under the table screeching to a halt between Jed's feet. 

"Thomas, what is your problem?" Jed jerked his legs up smacking his knee caps on the underside of the table. Rubbing his knees he turned in time to see the rest of the "furry gang" dashing towards them with panic in their eyes. "Sidney, oh God !!" 

"Sidney who?" Sarah whispered to Toni. 

Dropping the tray of parfaits on the table Abbey explained, "Sidney is the guardian of the garden. Jed, you get the hose out. I'll get the tomato juice." 

"Mr. President... .....Sir?" 

Jed swung his chair back to reality finding Deena staring at him with concern on her face. "Deeana... yes. What can I do for you?" 

"Sir you were having quite a moment there. I was wondering where your thoughts had taken you." He smiled at his memories leading Deeana to relax assured that he was back with her again. 

"You know Deeana, I am not liking these commencement address choices so much. I'm thinking I should talk about 'How is a person's personality and character reflected in the pets they keep?' I have a cat who believes she is descended from Egyptian Goddesses. And I have a duck chasing, ass biting doglet who rolls in horse shit, eats loo paper and consorts with skunks. Does that mean I'm a real 'stinker' or just have extremely poor judgment & impulsively immature behavior?" 

*If you're curious about the Andrex puppy.....check this out. :-) http://www.andrexpuppy.co.uk/home.htm * 


	17. Top Dog 17

**Top Dog**

**by:** Netcord

**Character(s):** Jed, Abbey, Leo, Charlie, Zoey  
**Pairing(s):** Jed/Abbey  
**Category(s):** Humor/Romance  
**Rating:** ADULT  
**Disclaimer:** Jed & Abbey were created by Aaron Sorkin. Thomas belongs to me.  
**Summary:** Jed and Abbey move forward into their new life back in Hew Hampshire. Life is never dull at the Bartlet Farm. Hail, hail... the gang's mostly all here!!  
**Author's Note:** The is a sequel to my previous story "It's A Dog's Life". For the sake of continuity you might want to read that first. In appreciation: I need to thank Mayhem who has been a huge help with this story all along the way. She has been a true sounding board, test reader, spell checker & over all encouraging friend. 

* * *

**Pt.17**

***** ***** ***** 

"Ow....stop that. Wait a minute would you. It's too tight. My fingers won't fit." 

Abbey put the grocery bags down on the kitchen table, looking towards the laundry room. The door was shut, which was strange and she distinctly heard Jed's voice which was also odd for the middle of the day. 

"Hold on. Get your head out of the way so I can see... there it is. Yes, I see you. You're very cute. Now will you back up just a little and give me some room to maneuver here please. Toby was right, you really do have a long tongue..... Wait..... Quit that, biting me will not have the desired affect you're hoping for... ..there, I think I feel it now. Almost, almost.....yes! Look at that.....here it comes. Hot damn.....now we're in business... See all you needed was a little patience & faith in me. It just took a little finesse and skilled hands." 

Abbey swung the laundry room door back with a fair amount of force. 

"Ow....shit." Jed's head popped up from beside the clothes washer followed by Thomas'. "Abbey, what are you doing? You almost knocked me out." He rubbed the side of his head scrambling up to his feet, handing a green frisbee off to Thomas who began a victory dance around the kitchen table. 

"What am I doing? What pray tell were you two doing in there on the floor?" Abbey peered into the laundry to confirm that no one else was in there. 

"The damn frisbee slid under the washer. We were trying to get it out before Sir Thomas had a nervous breakdown." Jed dusted off his office khakis and straightened his shoulders. "Why are you home in the middle of the day?" 

"I was about to ask you the same thing. I decided to take a half day today to get my errands done early. The guys are coming this afternoon to put the tent up for the wedding. Zoey and Charlie arrive before dinner. I just wanted to get myself organized. What's your excuse?" 

"The tent goes up today?" Jed's eyes narrowed as he gazed out the window to the lawn where the ceremony would take place. 

"Jed, we've been over this several times. They want it up early while the ground is dry. Plus Zoey needed time to set things up the way she wants them." Abbey could see that look coming over his face. It was the look a father gets when he feels his grip on his youngest child slipping away. "Jed?... .Are you and Sir Thomas playing hooky today?" 

"No, I came to pick up a few books and Curtis is in town this week. He has plans with Thomas later so we wanted to find the elusive frisbee." He continued to gaze at the lawn. 

Abbey stepped in close wrapping her arms around his neck. "This wedding is going to be a real event, Babe. You get to dress up and dance with your daughter. There will be lots of food I usually forbid you to eat. And most of your White House staff will be here for the weekend. You can boss them around for a few days." She kissed him tenderly, making him smiling. "Plus after the ceremony is over you get to supervise the fireworks." 

"Okay, you're right. I promise not to get overly sentimental or morose. Even though Charlie is stealing my youngest daughter from me, I now get to treat him like a real son even if he will only be an 'outlaw'." He brightened up at that thought, though in fact he had adopted Charlie as one of his own long ago. 

"So what's on your agenda?" Abbey dodged out of the way as Thomas came skidding across the floor with his front paws inside the upside down frisbee. He never ceased to entertain her with his antics. He continued on past her until the frisbee crashed into the molding under the front of the sink cabinet. Thomas then picked it up with his teeth taking another lap around the table. 

"I'm going surfing with Deeana... .computer lesson of the day... 'Google & Yahoo'. She's sending me on a search mission out into the World Wide Web." He wiggled his fingers in the air to simulate his typing speed ending with a pointed stab as he hit and imaginary enter key. 

"Well, leave some bread crumbs so you don't get lost out there in cyberspace. I need you home for dinner." She gave Jed a little tweak on the rear as he made for the door. 

***** ***** ***** 

Thomas bounded up the stairs, reaching the door to the office kitchen first as usual. Jed took the porch steps two at a time with Ron close behind. 

"Can you believe that Ron?" They took note that Thomas sat by the door waiting. He actually waited for permission to enter rather than jumping or scratching as he was so inclined to do. "Mattie has really gotten into his head. The idea being he lets me enter before him without tripping me and making a scene." 

"I'm impressed sir. The two of you took the lessons very seriously. Now you get the pay off." Ron patted the doglet as he held the door for the President, who strode in with is furry friend close behind. 

Deeana turned from the counter where she was making a row of sandwiches. "Good timing sir. I was beginning to wonder whether you were coming back." 

"Yeah, well I had a little trouble at the house. This one shoved his frisbee under the clothes washer and then Abbey tried to knock me out with the laundry room door." Jed signaled at Thomas who still had the frisbee clutched between his teeth. "I thought it was safer to come back here for lunch." 

The three of them sat around the table enjoying their lunch break. Jed stuck his hand into a bag of low fat tortilla chips, making a little pile of them on his plate. 

"Oh, Mr. President, Mattie dropped off these things for you. She'll give you a call about the "Assistance Training" sometime when the wedding is behind you." Deeana handed over a new blue harness and what looked like a framed photograph. 

The door swung open... ... .... "Curtis my man. How are things?" 

"Very good Mr. President... .hey Ron, Deeana." Thomas danced over to him showing that he was ready to roll. "Thomas, you found your frisbee. Good job." 

"Come join us, Deeana made an extra in case you arrived with an appetite." Ripping the wrapper from the package Jed held up a framed photo with a certificate at the bottom. "What do you know? A graduation photo and our certificate for participation." He held it up with pride for all to see. 

Curtis leaning in scrutinized the other participants. "Why does that yellow Lab look so orange?" 

"We had a minor situation at the barbeque out at the farm. I don't think the V8 had completely worn off yet when this picture was taken. You should have seen Mellow right after her bath. Griffon, the Springer, has a slight tinge as well. Daniel is still not speaking to me. Dart's fur is quite thick... the smell took great effort to neutralize. Plus by then I was getting a bit out of control with the hose. We were all pretty wet by the time people headed home. Abby didn't feel comfortable asking for the towels back." Jed paused considering the new set of towels he should order for her. 

Jed read the label on the harness... 'Sense-ible'. "What's the story with this, Deeana?" 

"Mattie says this is the harness she would prefer Thomas wear from now on. With him growing so big and strong the 'Sense-ible' harness will give you better control over him when you need it. She wants you to ditch the choke collar. Apparently it won't be necessary." 

"Thomas did you hear that? No more choke collar for you." Thomas stood still while Jed stripped him down. The new harness had a simple design... .one strap wrapped around his rib cage behind his front legs, with a second strap coming around the front of his chest. The clip ring was centered in the middle of his expanding chest. This was the important feature which allowed the dog owner more control without being yanked around by their large free spirited dog. Jed adjusted the straps for a snug comfortable fit. "There you go buddy. You look really sharp. How does that feel?" 

Thomas shook his head vigorously as if the sudden removal of the collar had lifted a huge burden fro him, but all it really signified was that he was ready to go so Curtis should eat faster. 

"Ok Deeana, what's next?" Jed followed her down the hall to his office. 

"Surf's up, sir. Google.com and Yahoo.com are your best bet. Thomas is gone for the afternoon. You have no distractions." 

"I'm ready and focused....don't you worry about me young lady." Jed planted himself in his chair reading Deeana's instructions, giving her a little thumbs up signal. "No worries. I'll have this info in a flash." 

"Mr. President once you go to Google or Yahoo find the category which best describes the topic you wish to access. Each sight will offer you lists to choose from. As you move deeper into the web you should find lots of interesting information about the subject you choose. Print me out some facts when you reach your final destination." 

"I can do this.....people are out there all the time doing exactly this." 

"Yes, but I caution you not to enter any chat rooms... .there are a lot of nutty types on the web. Just stick to the task at hand." 

"Chat rooms... ..?" Jed adjusted his glasses on his nose, looking up at her over the top of his frames. 

"Sir... ..." Deeana placed her hands on her hips. 

"Yeah, yeah....I hear you." He waved her away with a flip of the hand. 

Deeana headed for the door still talking over her shoulder as she went. "Alright, holler if you get lost." 

Left to his own devices Jed glanced back at Deeana's directions. 1. Find a site with information about the White House. 

"Geez, couldn't she come up with something a little harder?" Jed looked to the empty dog bed behind his desk, realizing he was now talking to himself. "OK, let's do this on the first try... Yahoo.com... Aaah, this list looks promising... ..'Painting the White House Blue- Monica the Musical.....Frisky musical about the sexual scandal involving... ." 

Jed cleared his throat hitting the back button. Scanning the list led him to... ."'White House Sleep-overs.....spend a night in the Lincoln bedroom, meet Lincoln's ghost and have a midnight snack with the President. Make your own sundaes in the executive kitchen.' Ghosts and ice cream? Give me a break. Don't be ridiculous... I would never share my ice cream with Lincoln's ghost." 

Jed typed in Executive Branch. " 'Executive Branch... .seat of presidential power and privilege... serve in the White House at the pleasure of the President, fly to exotic destinations on Air force One, such as the Isle of Yap, lifetime supply of Presidential M&Ms, all nighters with the President discussing strategy for the upcoming Notre Dame VS. Michigan game'... hey wait just a minute ... ." 

Wait, Executive Privilege... .hold on, hold on. This was turning into a tidal wave of websites. If he was going to surf he might as well dive right in. What was that thing about his genes? Yahoo asks... .do you mean JEANS? "Yes I do." 

http://execprivilege.tripod.com/ 

"What the.., this is too much... ..where did all these photos come from?" A slight smile cracked his lips. Jed leaned over his Dell staring at the obvious close shot of his face. He peeked over the top of his monitor making sure he was still alone. He could hear Deeana talking on the phone in the front room. The page was full of choices, Presidential Gallery, Jed and Abbey... "That's nice, they included Abbey." A relaxed smile developed... .."Jed Bartlet- The Jeans Gallery... ... ... ... ... Jed Bartlet- The Jeans Gallery? Oh for God's sake. Deeana wasn't kidding." 

Hitting enter the next page revealed an array of photos, all showing him wearing jeans ... at the farm, at the White House, at various informal events ... "Oh good God"... .candids in his early years.....at the beach, at Dartmouth. 

Flipping back to the first photo of himself sitting on the steps at the farm, Jed read the caption. "We love the tuxedos / We love the fitted suits / But we 'really' love the jeans." Ok, well this is just....I'm not sure what this is... .A full blown grin crossed his face. 

"Mr. President, how's it going?" Deeana materialized next to his chair. 

Jed sprang back in his chair holding his hand to his chest. "Don't do that. Are you trying to give me a heart attack?" 

"Sir, I don't think 'Hunky Presidents in Jeans' was on my search list." She looked at the Executive Privilege photo smiling. "But I must say sir... if there was an award for charisma I'd definitely give it to you. Don't forget to sign the guest book while you're there." She laughed out loud leaving Jed to continue his surfing. 

***** ***** ***** 

Climbing out of the Suburban Jed could easily see the tent now looming over his backyard. "This is it Ron. My baby is really getting married." 

"Yes sir. It was bound to happen sooner or later." He took the President's briefcase as they walked around the side of the house to take a closer look. 

"Life is moving so quickly. I'm not sure I'm ready for this." Jed shook his head, shoving both hands into his pockets. 

"Well you still have forty-eight hours... .that should give you plenty of time to adjust." Ron chuckled leading him up the porch steps. They could see Abbey and the kids through the kitchen windows. 

The table was set for four. There were pasta bowls, salad and even the smell of garlic bread in the air. Jed knew the bread was for Charlie. Abbey normally made a point of withholding bread from him, as part of his 'stay healthy' plan. . "Jed, we're having pasta with sauce for dinner, why don't you go change before we eat. I'd rather not have tomato sauce on those khakis." 

"Are you suggesting I have trouble keeping my sauce under control when eating pasta?" Jed caught Abbey by the apron strap pulling her in for a welcome home kiss. 

"It's led to multiple applications of Stain Stick. I thought maybe we could avoid that tonight." 

"Ok. I think I'll go put on a pair of jeans." He headed for the back stairs missing the wink Abbey flashed at Zoey and Charlie. 

Jed turned on the light grabbing an empty hanger to hang up his slacks. His jeans were folded in a pile on the shelves along the back wall of their walk in closet. He loved his oldest pair of Levis the most. They were soft from countless washes and worn in all the right places. The bottom edge of the legs had begun to fray slightly. A small hole had started to form at the base of the zipper, but it wasn't so large as to be immodest. Abbey has repaired the hole in the pocket when his change rattled down his leg spilling out all over the floor. She reinforced the seam around his rear pocket which was important now that he was carrying his wallet again. They were lose enough for easy movement, but tight enough to make Abbey take notice. 

Jed slid into the jeans grabbing a black leather belt off a hook. He slipped the belt through the loops with one hand while he jammed his feet into his dockers. Reaching up to yank the light pull he caught sight of something stuck to the back of the closet door. Jed swung the door shut squinting at a large photo which had been taped up right at eye level. It was a picture of him sitting on the porch steps at the farmhouse. His clean white short sleeved T-shirt fit just right over his broad shoulders and wide chest. He was leaning forward with his hands clasped over his jean clad legs. The caption under the photo, written in Abbey's handwriting, said, 
    
    
    	"Hunkiest President in history... ...
    	Jed Bartlet has hot genes... .
    	And we love his Levis too!!"

"Remind me to fire girl... .." The grin returned to his face as he pulled the chord for the light. 

***** ***** ***** 

The bottle of wine Charlie brought for dinner sat empty in the middle of the table. Jed finished the last piece of garlic bread licking his fingers. Abbey had been playing footsy with him under the table all through the meal. Zoey couldn't help but notice the looks passing back and forth between her parents. It made her wonder just who was getting married in two short days. And raised her hopes that she and Charlie could keep the flame of their love burning high even after sharing so many years. 

"Dad if you help Mom with the dishes Charlie and I will take Thomas for long walk." Zoey raised her eyebrows waiting for her father to grasp her suggestion. 

The spark in Jed's eyes burned a little brighter. "Thanks sweetheart. Thomas would love that." 

"If anyone is still hungry later there is pie in the refrigerator." Abbey tapped Jed on the shoulder as she made her way to the sink. He hopped up from the table to snatch the dish towel off the rack above the counter, snapping it at her hind end before bringing the dishes over from the table. 

When the porch door slammed shut Jed moved closed enough to bump Abbey with his hip. "Hunkiest President? Hot genes? Totty in Levis?" 

"I never called you a 'totty', though I certainly could have... " 

"Abbey... ..." 

"You can't fire Deeana, Jed. She adores you too much. Plus she knew you were getting a tad tense as Zoey's big day approached. She hoped I could help lighten things up a little." Abbey flashed her green eyes in his direction, splashing him with a sprits of water from her fingertips. 

Jed wagged his head considering this. He shrugged kissing her ear as she handed him a dripping plate to dry off. "OK she's not fired, but you stay away from that girl. I think you're a bad influence." "Jed switch on the CD player. Zoey left us some music to listen to. She's trying to decide on songs for the wedding & receptions. The musicians told her she could choose some of her favorites." 

The CD contained an assortment, some they had heard of, others they were not at all familiar with. First up was the Beatles, _"I Saw Her Standing There."_ Jed and Abbey stood hip to hip washing and drying. They swayed and dipped to the music, humming along with the young men from England. Next came Frankie Valli with _"I Can't Take My Eyes Off of You."_ Abbey kept washing and rinsing... Jed leaned sideways against the counter watching and singing along with Frankie. He watched her sudsy hands dipping in and out of the water. Every now and then Abbey would wipe her bangs back from her face with the back of her hand, leaving soap bubbles on her brow. 

Abbey wore one of his old button down Oxfords, except she had the shirt tails tied up at the waist accentuating the curve of her hips down over her muscular thighs. He admired the way her black stretch leggings hugged her legs all the way down to her bare feet. Abbey loved those high heels of hers, but tended to kick them off as soon as she walked through the door. Jed preferred her in bare feet so when he held her in his arms she fit perfectly within his embrace. 

"Jed, why did you stop humming? Hand me that last bowl would you?" 

Without taking his eyes from her he handed over the pasta bowl. The next time her hand went up to swipe away her bangs, he caught her wrist, then gently brushed her hair back with his fingertips. Abbey turned to look at his face. Using his dish cloth he carefully wiped away the suds above her left eyebrow. 

"Are we almost done here? Because I'm ready to dance with you... ..now." 

Jed flips the lights off, holding out a hand to her. The candles still burning on the kitchen table reflected in his blue eyes. Abbey knew that look. She dropped the sponge, turning off the water. 

"The rest can wait until morning. Is it the wine or the music?" She took his hand and was immediately swept in close to his chest. 

Jed placed his hands around her waist pressing his hips snugly against hers as the next song began to play. "It was your foot snaking up my pant legs all through dinner. I thought it was a cry for attention... ..and I aim to fulfill your every need, but first I want a dance." 

Abbey lay her head on his chest winding her arms under his so she could reach up behind to feel the strength in Jed's back. Most often Jed's style of dancing was to hold Abbey close, moving with a swaying rhythm to what ever music happen to be playing at that moment. In this instance it was Sarah Brightman's _'All I Ask of You.'_

The feel of Abbey's body moving against his was very soothing and exciting all at once. Jed stole a kiss before he starting singing along. It was one of the most beautiful songs from the Phantom of the Opera. Certainly it was appropriate for Zoey and Charlie's wedding. 

_"No more talk of darkness, forget these wide-eyed fears; I'm here, nothing can harm you....."_

Jed hands roamed over Abbeys rib cage, stroking up over the sides of her breasts. She bent her head to the side letting his lips suck at her earlobe. 

_"Say you need me with you now and always; promise me that all you say is true....."_

Zoey, Charlie and Thomas made their way up the path to the porch. It was obvious the kitchen had gone dark except for the subtle glow of candlelight. They climbed the porch steps catching a glimpse of their parents swaying to the music near the kitchen table. Zoey steered her troop to the porch swing. 

"Let's hang out here for a while until things cool down or heat up as the case may be." She took Charlie's hand humming to the phantom's tune. Charlie pulled Zoey closer enjoying the feel of her head resting against his shoulder. The words to this song meant a lot to him. He hoped beyond hope Zoey would listen and take them to heart. 

_"You're safe, no one will find you, your fears are far behind you."_

Abbey opened Jed's shirt running her hands through the wonderful grey hair from his chest down over his stomach. Their feet kept shuffling slightly as his lips moved on hers. Tongues met in a playful joust, Jed prevailing with a deep thrust into her mouth. Abbey moaned sucking eagerly on him. Her arms came around his waist inside his shirt. His arms wrapped firmly around her shoulders. 

_"Say you love me... You know I do. Love me, that's all I ask of you... Love me, that's all I ask of you... "_

The song ended, the spell was temporarily broken. Zoey peered through the darkened window... ...Jed holding Abbey with one arm turned, blowing out the candles as he led her to the stairs. 

"I think they liked our song, Charlie. Would you dance with me please?" 


	18. Top Dog 18

**Top Dog**

**by:** Netcord

**Character(s):** Jed, Abbey, Leo, Charlie, Zoey  
**Pairing(s):** Jed/Abbey  
**Category(s):** Humor/Romance  
**Rating:** ADULT  
**Disclaimer:** Jed & Abbey were created by Aaron Sorkin. Thomas belongs to me.  
**Summary:** Jed and Abbey move forward into their new life back in Hew Hampshire. Life is never dull at the Bartlet Farm. Hail, hail... the gang's mostly all here!!  
**Author's Note:** The is a sequel to my previous story "It's A Dog's Life". For the sake of continuity you might want to read that first. In appreciation: I need to thank Mayhem who has been a huge help with this story all along the way. She has been a true sounding board, test reader, spell checker & over all encouraging friend. 

* * *

**Pt.18**

***** ***** ***** 

The somber young man sat alone under the tent on a rented folding chair, arms crossed over his chest, long legs stretched out before him. It was such a happy time for him. Yet he felt a great weight on his shoulders. He had accepted the responsibility of raising his sister, who was now a smart efficient assistant to a former President. He himself had worked in the White House as body man to that President and assistant to his COS. Now he would embark on a new adventure, married to that President's youngest daughter. How strange life was. How could anyone have predicted such a path for him. When his mother had been killed he saw no future, except trying to live a life she could be proud of. What would she think of all this? Here he was in the backyard of that former President in New Hampshire, a state he had known only as a place somewhere near Boston. He owed so much to so many people who had eased his way over the past eight plus years, but none more than President Bartlet himself. 

"Charlie... may I join you? Or would you rather have time to yourself?" 

Charlie rose quickly to his feet upon hearing the voice of his future father-in-law as he approached from the porch steps. "Please sir." He motioned to a chair near where he had been sitting. 

"Please, son, sit. I didn't come out here to bother you. I'm sure you have a lot on your mind." Jed looked at his watch. "The rehearsal dinner is a few hours away. Things will really start hopping from then on." 

Charlie sat back down, "Yes, sir. Has the rest of your staff arrived yet?" 

Jed pulled a chair away from one the round table turning it to face Charlie's seat. "Toby and CJ are up in the kitchen negotiating room assignments with Abbey. Josh is bringing Donna and Leo. They should be here shortly." 

"I think I made the right decision to stay over at Deeana's. That can be a very wild bunch. I'd keep a close eye if I were you sir." Charlie smiled remembering the last gathering after Jed opened his new office in Manchester. 

"You know Charlie, I think it would be okay if you started calling me Dad. I mean I'd be fine with it if you want to." Jed leaned forward resting his elbows on his knees clasping his hand. It was such a familiar pose Charlie found himself mimicking the older man. 

"I'll try... Dad. Old habits die hard I guess." He gestured at the large tent full of tables and chairs. "This is all rather overwhelming. I mean having all these people come on our account. I know some will be here out of respect for you, but you get what I mean." 

Jed smiled knowingly. "Yes, I do know exactly what you mean. Some will be here so they can say they were at the wedding of the President's daughter. Some will come out of curiosity. Others just like a reason to dress up and party. But I can guarantee a majority of those here will have come because of their sincere affection for you and Zoey. So try to relax and enjoy the adoration while it lasts... then you're both off to the real world again." 

Jed reached out patting Charlie on the knee. "What have you got planned for after the wedding?" 

"Well, Zoey and I are headed back to Boston. We want to get the apartment painted and I need to do some job hunting before school opens. Zoey has a teaching assistant's position within her department. It doesn't pay much, but will help a lot." 

"Zoey needs to feel she is contributing. That's important Charlie." 

"I understand. I just want her to do well in her studies. " 

"And she will. I think you two need to have a little time to yourselves though, before you get all wound up in painting, jobs and studying." Jed pulled an envelope out of his back pocket. "Abbey and I would like to pay for you and Zoey to go down to Jamaica for ten days. I know you still have family there. It would give you a chance to visit and introduce your new bride to your relatives." 

Charlie stared at Jed when he reached to envelope out for him to take. Their eyes met and Jed gave him an affirming nod. 

"Go ahead, I want you to take it. There are plane tickets there and a hotel reservation in your name. All I ask is that you bring my daughter back in one piece and a few pictures for the family album." They both stood as Charlie grasped the envelope with shaky fingers. Jed opened his arms allowing his new son to step into a bear hug. They shared a firm embrace for a long moment. 

"Thanks Dad... . Dad, I'm ready." 

Jed's eyes shown warmly when he smiled, turning them back toward the house. "Now come on, I think it's time we both got dressed for dinner. Oh and about redecorating the apartment. Let her choose the colors. Have your paintbrush ready and go where she points you. " Jed gave him a fatherly wink. "Trust me on this one." 

****** ***** ***** 

"Abbey that was a delicious dinner last night. It will be hard to top." Leo flipped through the morning paper, enjoying the quiet before the chaos he knew was coming as the ceremony approached. 

"Thanks Leo. The crab was Jed's request. He thought it would be amusing to see all those people wearing bibs and swinging mallets." Abbey peered out the kitchen window. 

"New England crab?" He sat forward to grab his coffee mug off the table. 

"Need you ask? Tonight will be more dignified... .beef & lobster tails. Maine lobster of course. Have you seen Jed, Leo? He was pacing around our bedroom with his notes in hand. He can't seem to stay still for more than a few minutes at a time." 

"The florist came to decorate the trellis. Jed wandered out the back door to take a look." 

"Did he take Thomas with him?" The crate was empty and the blue harness was gone. 

"I think the puppy is on the porch practicing for tonight." Leo laughed tilting his head in that direction. 

Abbey stepped out onto the porch. The morning sun shone brightly on her face causing Abbey to hold her hand up shading her eyes. It was going to be a beautiful bright day to start off the month of July, not too hot or humid. All the guys would look spectacular in their tuxedos for the ceremony late this afternoon. They would stay cool as the sun set around dinner time. Though Zoey had chosen not to have her wedding in the church she had decided to go with a traditional wedding dress. The stand up lace collar and sleeves were delicate, the bodice fitted and sleek flowing down to the skirt which was long with a slight train, but not so long people would be tripping over her. She intended on doing her own hair, pulled it back with a matching lace veil and flowers. Jed would surely weep when it came time to walk her up the isle. Abbey made a mental note to be sure he had a clean handkerchief in his pocket. 

There Thomas sat tethered to the far post on the porch. "Hey pal, are you practicing for tonight?" She bent down to feel the softness of his ears. His eyes were sad. Thomas thought he was being punished for something he couldn't remember doing. "You're a good boy Thomas. We just can't have you dancing down the aisle with Jed and Zoey. Don't look so chagrined. From here you get to keep an eye on all the activity in the tent, the comings & goings from the garden, and most importantly you get to supervise the caterers in the kitchen." She kissed him on the top of his furry head... ....if Abbey really wanted him to stay there on the porch then it must be the best seat available for this show? 

Jed's heels rested on the edge of a stone jutting out of the wall surrounding the garden. He sat above the dahlias watching the florist thread a green leafy vine through the openings of the white trellis which had been temporarily installed at the back side of the garden lawn. Flowers from Abbey's own garden would be blended in to create a beautiful array of greenery and color. The chairs were all lined up in rows leaving an aisle up the middle. There was seating for about one hundred fifty guests. The press would be left standing at the gate near the bottom of the driveway. Abbey and Zoey had designated a few of their favorite reporters to leak some of the details to, but all photography would be handled by a private shop in Manchester. They would release only those photos authorized by the Bartlet family. 

During the rehearsal the night before Zoey had giggled and squeezed his arm as he escorted her up the aisle to where Charlie stood grinning with delight at the prospect of doing this for real. Jed told Charlie how Zoey used to run outside naked to dance with the 'garden fairies' in the rain. Was that the sort of woman he wanted to marry? Zoey reminded them both that she had been two and a half at the time. She released Jed's arm, falling into Charlie's, laughing at the memory. Jed stepped back watching his daughter turn her face up to receive a light kiss from the eager young man. How did we all get from 'garden fairies' to this? 

"Hey Babe, are you psyching yourself up for your big stroll down the aisle?" Abbey sat herself down beside him on the wall giving his knee an affectionate squeeze. 

"I was thinking a humorous toast might be better. That way I can keep it light." He held up his notes which had never left his hand all morning. 

"Speak from the heart Jed. Notes won't be needed. You'll know what to say." She took the notes from him, folding them over several times into small square. "My biggest concern for today is what we'll do if Sidney decides to join the wedding party." 

Jed looked at her with a sly smile on his face. "The bar bill will rise dramatically when all those in attendance stampede screaming from the garden and have to wait in line to be doused with V8 and cold water." 

"Jed... .." 

"Not to worry, I'll just have Coop stand by, gun at the ready, with instructions to shoot on sight." 

"Jed... ." 

"Okay,.....okay, Coop will just fire a warning shot into the air." Jed put his arm around Abbey's shoulder pulling her in so he could nuzzle the side of her neck. "It will be fine. And anyway the ceremony is too early for Sidney. He probably won't show up until it's time for dessert. By then no one will care." 

"Jed... ." Abbey smacked him on the chest, relieved to see him relaxed enough to yank her chain. 

***** ***** ***** 

Jed wiggled his toes with nervous energy. He didn't dare move or Abbey was liable to choke him with his tie. His tuxedo hung from the bedpost, the vest lay neatly on the bedspread. Jed watched her eyes as she studied the exact positioning of knot. She was always so precise, so fashionable, so incredibly sexy. 

"This tie matches your eyes perfectly, Babe. Let me get the knot straight then you can get your pants on. You look cute in socks, Jockeys and a shirt, but I doubt the rest of the guests are ready for that visual." 

Abbey took a deep breath. Jed's Bay Rum was starting to affect her in ways she needed to ignore. She left him to go check her makeup in the bathroom mirror. She fluffed her hair slightly with her fingers, pursing her lips. Abbey steadied her hand as she applied another coat of lip gloss. The large pearls accented her neck perfectly while matching the earrings Jed had given her at lunch. He was always so thoughtful to mark the big occasions they shared over the years with fine pieces of jewelry. His daughters would thank him at some point down the road. Abbey threw her shoulders back eyeing the line of her silk two piece suit, a light blend of beige and royal blue. 

"Remarkable... and the mother of three married daughters. I sure had a good eye over thirty-nine years ago." Abbey spun around to find Jed standing in the doorway. "I look forward to another dance at the reception." 

How could she possible turn down an offer like that from a guy wearing an expertly fitted black tuxedo with notched lapels, four button royal blue satin vest & matching blue tie. His trousers were sleek giving him a trim appearance all the way down to his black Patton leather slip-ons. The boutonniere was the crowning touch for this perfect specimen of a father of the bride. Abbey pinned the white carnation firmly to his left lapel sniffing in it fragrance as she smoothed her hand down over the crisp pleats of his shirt. 

Jed held out a hand to her. "I heard some whistling out in the hall. I think that was our signal to get a move on. This may be the one family event I have actually been on time to since going to Washington the first time." 

They descended the stairs to find an excited gaggle of women in the hallway. Zoey was surrounded by her sisters both dressed in royal blue peasant style blouses over long white skirts with a floral design replicating the actual flowers in the trellis and also adorning their hair. CJ and Donna were there as well trying to calm nerves and offer some last minute encouragement to the bride to be. 

"Are we ready to roll?" Jed asked setting his gaze on his youngest. The other women stepped away allowing him a full view of the lovely young woman dressed in lace and satin. Zoey clutched a bouquet in her left hand, fidgeting with the right. With gentle hands Jed touched her cheeks. "You look beautiful. Are you ready sweetheart?" Receiving a nod he offered her his left elbow which she took with relief. 

The moment they reached the garden gate it all became a blur. The garden was full of happy guests in festive outfits. Their faces turned to watch the father and daughter, smiling, whispering, some nodding in silent recognition of this momentous occasion. Music played to accompany their stroll up the aisle. Charlie stood confidently supported by one of his childhood friends and yes, Josh, the man who had introduced him to his bride to be. The three were immaculately turned out, a vision of expectant sobriety. There are no words to describe their expressions when they caught sight of Zoey on Jed's arm. The light in Charlie's eyes said it all. All guests rose to their feet waiting for the moment when the lovely young bride would be passed from proud father to trusted husband. Having done his duty, Jed took his place next to Abbey trying to concentrate on the vows being spoken before him. The tears in his eyes made it hard to see clearly so he bowed his head in a silent prayer of blessing. 

***** ***** ***** 

"You know Thomas weddings are over rated... .I think they're a conspiracy against the lovelorn." Toby took a long gulp from the bottle of Guinness he had requisitioned from the caterer at the back door of the kitchen. He settled himself into the rocking chair at the end of the porch. 

Thomas was delighted for the company. All the action seemed to be either be in the garden or the kitchen, both forbidden zones at the moment. Thomas had fond memories of Toby. Though he seemed a rather grumpy fellow, good times and often food surrounded him. 

"Excuse me, what do you have there?" Toby rose to inspect a tray of food being delivered out to the tent. "May I?" He extracted several crab puffs and a tasty looking morsel wrapped in bacon. 

Thomas put on his most endearing face being careful not to drool on Toby pant leg. Excessive drool was always off putting. He inched as close as he dared holding up his right paw, a trick Ellie had recently taught him. 

"Oh, you want to shake, Buddy?" Toby seized his paw shaking it vigorously. "Nice, good boy." 

Thomas shifted on his haunches moving slightly nearer to his target. He sniffed the air, licking his lips. It must have been the look of desperation in his eyes... ... 

"Here try this." The bacon wrapped morsel dropped into his gaping mouth. It was gone in a nano-second. "Well, I guess that hit the spot. You really should chew before swallowing. It's the start of the digestive process." He scratched Thomas under the chin receiving a lick of gratitude. "We should get some more of those. I recommend you try the crab puffs. They're delicious too." 

***** ***** ***** 

Under the lights in the tent many jackets hung over the backs of the folding chairs, including Jed's. His had been the first to go, July 1st turning out to be the warm bright day they had hoped for. He took his rightful turn dancing with the bride who beamed with joyful relief that the ceremony was behind her. Jed spun her around the floor ending with a dramatic dip as he used to do when dancing with his little girls in the living room so many years before. There was a burst of applause. They both gave a bow of recognition laughing with pleasure. Jed returned Zoey to her new husband, searching for his own wife among the party goers who now feasted on filet and stuffed lobster tails. Abbey waved Jed back to their table where they had been joined by Millie, Leo, his brother John and their sister-in-law. CJ had talked Toby down from the porch with the promise of more crab puffs, Guinness and dancing. Despite what one might expect, Toby knew a few moves on the dance floor and with CJ in his arms exhibited a bit of a flare. 

Jed loosened his tie a bit undoing the top button on the shirt. His day was almost done and the food in front of him was hot. He enjoyed the chatter at the table and the music while he stabbed his fork into the lobster tail. Abbey's hand slid onto his thigh under the table cloth. He glanced at her, but she was talking to Millie on her other side, so Jed just shifted a little closer letting her know he appreciated the gesture. 

He leaned with his elbows on the table relishing the opportunity to sit down for a while and enjoy the company, good food and a moment to reflect on the events of the day. While eating Jed watched those remaining on the dance floor among them Zoey and Charlie. They swayed casually touching and talking in a relaxed manner. Soon they would return from their honeymoon trip to start a life together living in an apartment on the outskirts of Boston. That's when the real journey starts he thought... .so much to do, so much to learn about each other, so many compromises. Jed prayed with all his heart that his youngest and her new love could have half of what he and Abbey had shared. Abbey had been a brave, but willing passenger on a wild ride from the very beginning... .... 

_Abbey lay on top of the sheets of their second hand bed in their rented flat at 803 Eagle St. directly across from Red Lion Square. Their landlord, Prof. Daniel Barr of The London School of Economics, had kissed her hand on arrival insisting that she henceforth call him 'Daniel.' He had been thoroughly charmed by his new American tenants who had agreed to take the 4th floor flat in the attic of his old Victorian London home regardless of the fact that the stairs were narrow, the heat tended to hover in the eaves under the roof and that the laundry was in the basement. With a limited budget Jed had jumped at the offer from his grad school professor. Living in the center of London would allow them to walk pretty much everywhere they needed to go._

Jed paced energetically back and forth in the middle of the bedroom dressed only in his boxers, his untrimmed mop of dark hair hung damp with sweat on his forehead. They had opened all four dormer style windows hoping for a cross breeze, but without screens of any kind the steady flow of winged invaders might prove to be problematic. Jed pointed in various directions while reading from a guide map. 

"Okay on this side we have Russell Square, which is the center of Bloomsbury." He pointed toward the living room wall. "And over here, just a few blocks up is the Great Ormond St. Hospital for Sick Children as well as the National Hospital right next door. This is great. You could get work at either one of them or just to the east of that is The University of London." He stopped momentarily to see if she was listening at all. 

Abbey was admiring the view. At some point, she wasn't quite sure when, Jed had morphed from a somewhat shy inexperienced theology student into a warm, sensitive, and confident lover who was no longer self conscious about his body. In fact he shed his clothes without much thought as soon as he came through the door at the end of his day. He had a way of moving that was both appealing and sexy, but was completely lacking in self-awareness. He still did not fathom the effect the sight of his lean muscular body had on her. Add to that the gorgeous smile, the thick hair and Lord knows those blue eyes. She had fallen under his spell almost immediately. 

"Abbey did you hear what I said? The opportunities are limitless." He now stood at the foot of the bed. He tilted his head placing one hand on a bed post. 

"I'm right with you Babe, keep going." Abbey propped herself up a little, Lifting the bottom of her Harvard T-shirt, Abbey flapped it in an effort to get more air on her skin. 

Jed watched this cooling technique with interest, then tried to flip his bangs off his forehead unsuccessfully. "Well, all I'm saying is we are within eye shot of theaters, top notch medical facilities, the legal and the financial district... .plus this place isn't so bad. All this great furniture was generously left behind by the last guy who lived here. Prof. Barr said we can paint the rooms any color we choose." 

Abbey sat up abruptly. "That's all great Jed, but those colors you showed me are not going on these walls in my lifetime." 

"Why? What wrong with them?" Now his hands were on his hips. God he looked cute when he went on defense. 

"Babe, one could be called 'I may hurl any minute lime green'. The other is 'someone needs stitches blood red.' She fell back laughing onto the pillows. 

"OK, look they were on sale. Are you mocking my decorating sense? Choose what you want. I surrender that... ..." Jed ducked when he became aware of something flying near his head. "What the hell?" 

The fast moving dark winged object made another quick pass just missing his right ear. Now Jed was squatting down trying to catch a better glimpse of this newest invader. 

"Oh my God Jed. That's a hairy brown bat... ." Abbey scrambled quickly clutching the sheet up over herself. "Get in here... .it may be aiming for your jugular." Jed crawled around sliding in under the side of the sheet Abbey held open for him. 

Laying on their backs with their knees up, pulling the sheet over their heads, they held it tight like a tent. The fast moving shadow silently whirled around above them passing in front the ceiling light every now and then. Jed tracked the bat's flight through the sheet. Abbey squirmed and laughed wondering if British bats were more inclined to bite foreign or local citizens. 

"Abbey we may be overreacting just a bit here. I doubt that tiny thing has fangs." The shadow swooped low over their 'tent'. "Shit...." Jed flattened his legs down on the mattress. 

"I don't care Jed.....it may land in my hair." Abbey flipped onto her stomach keeping her head covered. 

"Oh come on.....that's an old wives tale." He wiggled his fingers up through her hair getting the shrieking response he was expecting. His deep rumbling laugh made her squeal and twist under the sheet to bury her face in his chest. Jed cupped her rear with one large hand to pull her hips close to his. 

"Jed we're under attack here. I really don't think this is the time for... " 

"Shhhhh." Jed lowered the sheet to his nose peering around the room. Not seeing anything fly by, he jerked the sheet back over his head. "Oh my God there it is perched on the bed post!!" He rolled covering Abbey with his body. "Not to worry sweetheart I'll protect you." 

Abbey lay very still, nose to nose with her gallant protector. The room was quiet except for some sounds rising up from the street outside. The bed started to whine slightly as Jed's hips moved against hers. 

"Jed... " 

"Hmmm?" His lips were on her neck nibbling up toward her earlobe. 

"You have the strangest way of responding to danger. Look at me." Abbey grabbed a fist full of hair lifting his head off her neck to get a look at his face. All she got was a toothy grin and raised eyebrows. "Bartlet you are so full of it." 

"If one of us is going to be converted into a night stalking vampire I don't want to miss my last chance at... ..." Jed was cut off by Abbey's lips covering his. She kept her grip on his hair holding his mouth firmly to hers. Her free hand was in the back of his shorts giving his butt a good squeeze. Her hips moved with vigor now encouraging him to take up the pace. 

Their tongues jousted back and forth until they both ran out of air. Abbey released her hold on Jed's hair while she tried to catch her breath. "Wow." 

"Wow?....wow? I'm just getting warmed up here." Jed kissed her firmly once more then spread her knees with his legs and sank down farther under the sheet. He caught the hem of her T-shirt with his teeth lifting it up far enough to uncover her full breasts. "Hold on to something Sweet thing." 

Jed's mouth was so warm yet firm and insistent. He feasted on one side then moved to the other, sucking and teasing her nipples with his lips and tongue. His hands roamed freely easily dispensing with her panties. Compared to his eager mouth, Jed's hands were always slow and incredibly soft. He stroked her inner thighs working his way in toward the center. He drew the moisture he found there up to lubricate her delicate clit before circling it with his thumb. Jed knew he'd hit the spot by Abbey's sudden intake of air. Her chest rose and fell in jagged breaths. 

"Is that how you like it? Is that what you want?" 

"I want you to lose the shorts as fast as humanly possible." 

Like all new husbands, Jed aimed to please. He stood up in the middle of the bed, quickly dropping his boxers to reveal an impressive hard-on. 

"Very nice Babe. Now get down here and let me have my way with you." 

Grinning broadly Jed flopped down beside her prepared for a wild ride. Abbey had already shown herself to be an imaginative and giving partner. Jed had no qualms about letting her take the lead. 

"Jed, put your hands out to your sides and lay very still." 

If this was some sort of test of his will power, it was extremely cruel. He loved to touch her... .her face, her thighs... her breasts. At least she hadn't asked him to close his eyes. 

Abbey knelt between his legs running her hands up over his knees. She massaged his thighs as she used her tongue to lick and tease him. She swirled around him wetting him thoroughly before taking him in to suck and stroke him with her lips. His hips moved slightly below her, but she placed a hand on his abdomen to calm them. When his moaning turned to what sounded like an expression of pain Abbey stopped. Lifting her hips above his she carefully fit herself smoothly down over him. The feelings of warmth and of fullness were a relief to them both. Abbey swayed from side to side making sure he was completely inside of her. She bent over his chest stroking his face with her fingertips while licking and nipping at his chest. Abbey was sure to leave her mark on the skin near his left nipple. 

Once again his hips began to move, but this time Abbey encouraged it. Sitting up she grabbed onto the edge of headboard for support shifting her weight back, finding the rhythm to counter his thrusts. 

"Yes, Babe... ..come on now." They rocked with determination, the box springs groaning under their joint effort. The rocking, the groaning... her moaning... ."God Jed, God Jed". Their movement became frantic. The cracking was louder, then louder. The cracking enormously loud. They were tumbling through the air holding each other with desperation. Silence... .. 

"For the love of God... ." Without missing a beat Jed grasped Abbey by the hips flipping them over so he was now driving from the top. He arched his back putting everything he had into his final thrust. It proved to be a winner. 

Abbey held her hands up pushing back against the headboard which now leaned precariously over her head. Jed lay in an exhausted heap by her side. "I think we know why the last guy left this bed here. I'm guessing even Daniel heard that one down on the second floor." 

"Not to worry Sweet thing. The Brits appreciate a good effort. They are much more passionate than people give them credit for." Jed slowly rolled onto his back, his chest still heaving. 

Staring up at the ceiling Abbey noticed a small dark furry thing hanging from the crown molding. "Jed... .." She poked him in the shoulder. "Jed... ....." 

"Jed... . they're waiting for you to give your toast, Babe." 

Jed looked up from his plate to see all eyes were on him. "The toast? Oh sure, okay." He grabbed his wine glass and rose to his feet. It had been a very long and emotional day for all present. Jed could see Zoey and Charlie watching him expectantly. Soon the cake would be cut, congratulations given and their departure imminent. His youngest daughter no longer 'his,' but the wife of the unquestionably loyal, intelligent and brave young man whom he trusted more than most, was ready to find her own path, independent and optimistic. What words could he say at that moment to sum up his feelings, his love for them both? Jed stared into his wine glass pushing back the tears that threatened to reveal his softer side. 

"For those who stay after, there will be fireworks down by the pond later. I've been made 'honorary fuse lighter'... ...so you may witness the burning of our barn." Of course Jed got the laugh he hoped for. He cleared his throat looking back at the wine which he swirled around before taking a sip. 

Her hand was small and comforting. She stood beside him weaving her fingers between those of his left hand, squeezing slightly. Her green eyes burned bright reminding him that all was as it should be. He smiled turning his eyes back to the newly weds. 

"Let me tell you all a story... .a story of a little girl who loved to run naked out into the rain and dance with the garden fairies... ... ..." 

***** ***** ***** 

From the house Toby watched the fireworks bursting over the pond. Jed had out done himself this time. No 4th of July display could ever hope to out do the show he was putting on in honor of his daughter's wedding. Word had gotten around in Manchester that Bartlet was going all out... ....towns people lined the hill sides to watch with delight. 

"Fireworks aren't for dogs Thomas or you know Jed would let you come down to join the party now. You're much better off up here with me." Toby stuck his hand into a cooler pulling out two more bottles of Guinness. He then snatched up two bottles of Aquafina off the counter. "These two are for you buddy. I'm not tempting the wrath of... you know who. Come on, I hear CJ pilfered an entire tray of crab puffs and those bacon thingies. You want to come over to the 'Animal House' with us?" 

Thomas' ears perked right up. That CJ was a real doll. The porch light illuminated the path to where the real action was sure to be found. 

***** ***** ***** 

The low slung beach chairs were perfect for leaning ones head back to gaze up at the stars. The fireworks had been a big hit, but now it was time to just sit quietly alone by the pond and contemplate the heavens in their natural state. Jed stretched his legs out in front of him watching for any sign of a shooting star. Abbey held on tight to his hand in her lap. 

"Where's Thomas, Abbey? I didn't see him when I came down from the house." 

"Oh, he had a date tonight. Toby took him over to the Guest House with CJ and some others." 

"That man must have a death wish. I swear... ..." 

Occasionally there was a ripple on the water as small frogs jumped from the bank. Bats flitted about over head on their nightly rounds. Jed sighed running his finger through his hair. "Well, Babe we are really empty nesters now." Abbey pulled her feet up under her. 

"Yep." 

"Except of course for your half grown doglet and that Egyptian Goddess of a cat." 

"Look, over there. There's one... ..see it." Jed pointed across to the east. "Make a wish Sweet thing." 

For a moment they kept silent guarding their secret wishes. 

"You know Abbey, I was thinking that we should take a short vacation now that I'm retired. I heard that people often do that. You know take retirement trips... ... How does a trip to London sound?" 

El Final 


End file.
